Electrocatalytic Reduction of Nitrate to Ammonia in an Aqueous Environment Using Nanoporous N- and P-Enriched Carbonaceous Material.

Carbonization (Argon atmosphere, 900 °C, 2 h) of heteroatom-enriched pyridine-bridged inorganic-organic hybrid material (HPHM) resulted in the formation of a high specific surface area (SA of 1080 m g) carbonaceous material designated as HPHMC900. The HPHMC900 serves as an effective electrocatalyst for the reduction of nitrate in an aqueous environment to ammonia (NORR). Importantly, HPHMC900 demonstrated fast kinetics for the NORR with a low Tafel slope of 70 mV decade.