Anderson‐Type Polyoxometalates Intercalated Cobalt–Copper Layered Double Hydroxides Heterostructures With Plum Blossom‐Like for Efficient Electroreduction of Nitrate to Ammonia

Read full text
Authors: Jia-ning Guan, Yuwen Wang, Liping Cui, Mei‐ling Wang, Kai Yu
Cited by: 1
References: 47

Abstract

ABSTRACT Electrochemical nitrate reduction (NO 3 RR) attracts increasing attention due to its potential to promote environmental sustainability and restore the global nitrogen balance. However, the development of an electrocatalyst with excellent activity and stability remains a significant challenge. Herein, we report a heterostructured electrocatalyst {ZnMo 6 }@CuCo LDH composed of Anderson‐type polyoxometalate clusters ({ZnMo 6 }) anchored onto copper‐cobalt layered double hydroxide, which effectively addresses these limitations through a synergistic effect. The electrolyzer composed of {ZnMo 6 }@CuCo LDH achieves a Faradaic efficiency of 96.6% and an NH 3 selectivity of 91.7% at industrial‐scale current densities (>150 mA cm −2 ), with an overpotential of only −0.02 V vs. RHE. The catalyst shows almost no activity degradation over 100 h. Theoretical calculations indicate that the outstanding catalytic performance originates from the synergistic interaction between {ZnMo 6 } clusters and mixed‐valence Cu/Co sites. Incorporation of {ZnMo 6 } clusters facilitates multi‐electron transfer and * NO to * NHO conversion, lowers the free energy barrier for H 2 O dissociation, and consequently boosts * H production and NH 3 formation. Zn‐Mo‐CuCo interfacial coupling effectively promotes the electrocatalytic NO 3 RR process and inhibits the hydrogen evolution side reaction. This intercalation‐functionalized composite design, which integrates molecular clusters with 2D substrates, provides an effective strategy for developing high‐performance electrocatalysts for sustainable nitrate pollution remediation and ammonia synthesis.

Fields of Study & Subjects

Ammonia Synthesis and Nitrogen Reduction Advanced Photocatalysis Techniques CO2 Reduction Techniques and Catalysts

Publication details

Journal / source
Advanced Functional Materials
Publisher
Wiley
Volume
36
Issue
70
Publication date
31 July 2026
Language
EN