Modulating the Electrolyte Microenvironment in Electrical Double Layer for Boosting Electrocatalytic Nitrate Reduction to Ammonia.

Electrochemical nitrate reduction reaction (NORR) is a promising approach to achieve remediation of nitrate-polluted wastewater and sustainable production of ammonia. However, it is still restricted by the low activity, selectivity and Faraday efficiency for ammonia synthesis. Herein, we propose an effective strategy to modulate the electrolyte microenvironment in electrical double layer (EDL) by mediating alkali metal cations in the electrolyte to enhance the NORR performance. Taking bulk Cu as a model catalyst, the experimental study reveals that the NO -to-NH performance in different electrolytes follows the trend Li