Self-supported P-doped NiFe2O4 micro-sheet arrays for the efficient conversion of nitrite to ammonia

Tiantian Zhao; Jun Zhou; Dafeng Zhang; Yin Wang; Shuxing Zhou; Jianbing Chen; Guangzhi Hu

doi:10.1016/j.jcis.2023.06.194

Self-supported P-doped NiFe₂O₄ micro-sheet arrays for the efficient conversion of nitrite to ammonia

J Colloid Interface Sci. 2023 Nov 15;650(Pt A):143-150. doi: 10.1016/j.jcis.2023.06.194. Epub 2023 Jun 29.

Authors

Tiantian Zhao¹, Jun Zhou¹, Dafeng Zhang², Yin Wang³, Shuxing Zhou⁴, Jianbing Chen⁵, Guangzhi Hu⁶

Affiliations

¹ Institute for Ecological Research and Pollution Control of Plateau Lakes, School of Ecology and Environmental Science, Yunnan University, Kunming 650504, China.
² School of Materials Science and Engineering, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng 252000, China.
³ Hubei Key Laboratory of Low Dimensional Optoelectronic Materials and Devices, Hubei University of Arts and Science, Xiangyang 441053, China.
⁴ Hubei Key Laboratory of Low Dimensional Optoelectronic Materials and Devices, Hubei University of Arts and Science, Xiangyang 441053, China. Electronic address: sxzhou@hbuas.edu.cn.
⁵ Research Academy of Non-metallic Mining Industry Development, Materials and Environmental Engineering College, Chizhou University, Chizhou 247000, China.
⁶ Institute for Ecological Research and Pollution Control of Plateau Lakes, School of Ecology and Environmental Science, Yunnan University, Kunming 650504, China. Electronic address: guangzhihu@ynu.edu.

PMID: 37399750
DOI: 10.1016/j.jcis.2023.06.194

Abstract

The nitrite reduction reaction (NO₂^-RR) is an important process for eliminating toxic nitrites from water while simultaneously producing high-value ammonia under ambient conditions. For the aim to improve the NO₂^-RR efficiency, we designed a new synthetic strategy to prepare a phosphorus-doped three-dimensional NiFe₂O₄ catalyst loaded onto a nickel foam in-situ and evaluated its performance for the reduction of NO₂^- to NH₃. The catalyst achieved a high Faradaic efficiency (FE) of 95.39%, and an ammonia (NH₃) yield rate of 34788.51 µg h^-1 cm^-2 at - 0.45 V vs. RHE. A high NH₃ yield rate and FE were maintained after 16 cycles at - 0.35 V vs. RHE in an alkaline electrolyte. This study provides a new direction for the rational design of highly stable electrocatalysts for the conversion of NO₂^- to NH₃.

Keywords: Ammonia synthesis; Electrocatalysis; Nitrite reduction; Phosphorus-doping.