Ambient ammonia synthesis via nitrite electroreduction over NiS2 nanoparticles-decorated TiO2 nanoribbon array

Xun He; Long Hu; Lisi Xie; Zerong Li; Jie Chen; Xiuhong Li; Jun Li; Longcheng Zhang; Xiaodong Fang; Dongdong Zheng; Shengjun Sun; Jing Zhang; Abdulmohsen Ali Alshehri; Yongsong Luo; Qian Liu; Yan Wang; Xuping Sun

doi:10.1016/j.jcis.2022.12.042

Ambient ammonia synthesis via nitrite electroreduction over NiS₂ nanoparticles-decorated TiO₂ nanoribbon array

J Colloid Interface Sci. 2023 Mar 15:634:86-92. doi: 10.1016/j.jcis.2022.12.042. Epub 2022 Dec 12.

Authors

Xun He¹, Long Hu², Lisi Xie³, Zerong Li², Jie Chen², Xiuhong Li², Jun Li², Longcheng Zhang², Xiaodong Fang³, Dongdong Zheng², Shengjun Sun⁴, Jing Zhang³, Abdulmohsen Ali Alshehri⁵, Yongsong Luo², Qian Liu⁶, Yan Wang⁷, Xuping Sun⁸

Affiliations

¹ Institute for Advanced Study, Chengdu University, Chengdu 610106, Sichuan, China; Institute of Fundamental and Frontier Sciences, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610054, Sichuan, China.
² Institute of Fundamental and Frontier Sciences, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610054, Sichuan, China.
³ Institute for Advanced Study, Chengdu University, Chengdu 610106, Sichuan, China.
⁴ College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250014, Shandong, China.
⁵ Chemistry Department, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, P.O. Box 80203, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia.
⁶ Institute for Advanced Study, Chengdu University, Chengdu 610106, Sichuan, China. Electronic address: liuqian@cdu.edu.cn.
⁷ Institute of Fundamental and Frontier Sciences, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610054, Sichuan, China. Electronic address: wy@uestc.edu.cn.
⁸ Institute of Fundamental and Frontier Sciences, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610054, Sichuan, China; College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250014, Shandong, China. Electronic address: xpsun@uestc.edu.cn.

PMID: 36535172
DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2022.12.042

Abstract

Nitrite (NO₂^-), as a N-containing pollutant, widely exists in aqueous solution, causing a series of environmental and health problems. Electrocatalytic NO₂^- reduction is a promising and sustainable strategy to remove NO₂^-, meanwhile, producing high value-added ammonia (NH₃). But the NO₂^- reduction reaction (NO₂^-RR) involves complex 6-electron transfer process that requires high-efficiency electrocatalysts to accomplish NO₂^--to-NH₃ conversion. Herein, we report NiS₂ nanoparticles decorated TiO₂ nanoribbon array on titanium mesh (NiS₂@TiO₂/TM) as a fantastic NO₂^-RR electrocatalyst for ambient NH₃ synthesis. When tested in NO₂^--containing solution, NiS₂@TiO₂/TM achieves a satisfactory NH₃ yield of 591.9 µmol h^-1 cm^-2 and a high Faradaic efficiency of 92.1 %. Besides, it shows remarkable stability during 12-h electrolysis test.

Keywords: Ambient NH(3) synthesis; Electrocatalysis; Electrochemical NO(2)(−) reduction; NiS(2)@TiO(2) nanoarray.

MeSH terms

Ammonia
Nanoparticles*
Nanotubes, Carbon*
Nitrites
Nitrogen Dioxide

Substances

Nitrites
titanium dioxide
Ammonia
Nanotubes, Carbon
Nitrogen Dioxide