Characterization and Electrochemical Behaviour of Nanoscale Hydrotalcite-Like Compounds toward the Reduction of Nitrate.

In this research, nano Cu/Al-HTLCs, Co/Al-HTLCs and Cu/Co/Al-HTLCs were synthesized, characterized, and tested in electrolytic reduction nitrate. Experimental results showed that Cu/Al-HTLCs were less stable than Co/Al-HTLCs due to the Jahn-Teller effect. However, electrocatalytic activity of copper was superior to that of cobalt; thus, Cu/Co/Al-HTLCs were selected based on their stable crystalline structure and electrochemical activity. The optimized CuCoAl-HTLC was highly active in nitrate reduction, with two peaks for nitrate and nitrite reduction, respectively. Ammonia, nitrite and N-containing gases were found to be the final products of constant potential electrolysis at -0.54 and -0.74 V.