Coupling Cu doping and oxygen vacancies in Co3O4 for efficient electrochemical nitrate conversion to ammonia

Chem Commun (Camb). 2023 Apr 25;59(34):5086-5089. doi: 10.1039/d3cc00864a.

Abstract

Electrochemical conversion of nitrate to NH3 not only eliminates nitrate pollution in the environment, but also produces highly valuable NH3. Herein, Cu-doped Co3O4 with abundant oxygen vacancies (Cu-Co3O4-x) was prepared on carbon cloth. The as-fabricated Cu-Co3O4-x can selectively reduce nitrate to NH3 with high Faraday efficiencies (around 90%) and a large NH3 yield of 0.83 mmol h-1 cm-2 in a neutral electrolyte.