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Enhanced nitrate reduction to ammonia using Cu-Ni catalyst: Synergistic mechanisms and reaction pathways.

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Title: Enhanced nitrate reduction to ammonia using Cu-Ni catalyst: Synergistic mechanisms and reaction pathways.
Authors: Qu, Yansen1 (AUTHOR), Li, Xin1 (AUTHOR), Xia, Yingjie1 (AUTHOR), Lan, Haosheng1 (AUTHOR), Ding, Le1 (AUTHOR), Zhong, Jing1 (AUTHOR), Chang, Xinghua1,2 (AUTHOR) changxinghua@csu.edu.cn
Source: Journal of Environmental Sciences (Elsevier). Jan2026, Vol. 159, p23-32. 10p.
Subjects: Rotating disk electrodes, Bimetallic catalysts, Nitrogen cycle, Atomic hydrogen, Electrochemical analysis, Denitrification
Abstract: • Cu 5 Ni@NC electrode shows excellent eNO 3 RR performance, with 99.19 % NO 3 - removal efficiency and 75.03 % NH 4 +-N selectivity. • Ni enhances aquatic active hydrogen generation, facilitating oxynitride hydrogenation during eNO 3 RR. • Ni shifts the catalyst's d-band center, improving nitrate and intermediate adsorption. • A detailed nitrate-to-ammonia conversion pathway is revealed through in-situ spectroscopic analysis. Accelerated industrialization combined with over-applied nitrogen fertilizers results in serious nitrate pollution in surface and ground water, disrupting the balance of the global nitrogen cycle. Electrochemical nitrate reduction (eNO 3 RR) emerges as an attractive strategy to simultaneously enable nitrate removal and decentralized ammonia fabrication, restoring the globally perturbed nitrogen cycle. However, complex deoxygenation-hydrogenation processes and sluggish proton-electron transfer kinetics significantly hinder practical application of eNO 3 RR. In this study, we developed carbon-coated Cu-Ni bimetallic catalysts derived from metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) to facilitate eNO 3 RR. The unique structural features of catalyst promote enhanced synergy between Cu and Ni, effectively addressing critical challenges in nitrate reduction. Comprehensive structural and electrochemical analysis demonstrate that electrochemical nitrate-to-nitrite conversion mainly takes place on active Cu sites, the introduction of Ni could efficiently accelerate the generation of aquatic active hydrogen, promoting the hydrogenation of oxynitrides during eNO 3 RR. In addition, Ni introduction could push up the d-band center of the catalyst, thus enhancing the adsorption and activation of nitrate and the corresponding intermediates. Detailed reaction pathways for nitrate-to-ammonia conversion are illuminated by rotating disk electrode (RDE), in-situ Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, in-situ Raman spectrum and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Benefiting from the synergistic effect of Cu and Ni, optimum catalyst exhibited excellent nitrate reduction performance. This work provides a new idea for elucidating the underlying eNO 3 RR reaction mechanisms and contributes a promising strategy for designing efficient bimetallic electrocatalysts. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Journal of Environmental Sciences (Elsevier) is the property of Elsevier B.V. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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  Data: Enhanced nitrate reduction to ammonia using Cu-Ni catalyst: Synergistic mechanisms and reaction pathways.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Qu%2C+Yansen%22">Qu, Yansen</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Li%2C+Xin%22">Li, Xin</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Xia%2C+Yingjie%22">Xia, Yingjie</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Lan%2C+Haosheng%22">Lan, Haosheng</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Ding%2C+Le%22">Ding, Le</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Zhong%2C+Jing%22">Zhong, Jing</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Chang%2C+Xinghua%22">Chang, Xinghua</searchLink><relatesTo>1,2</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<i> changxinghua@csu.edu.cn</i>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Journal+of+Environmental+Sciences+%28Elsevier%29%22">Journal of Environmental Sciences (Elsevier)</searchLink>. Jan2026, Vol. 159, p23-32. 10p.
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Rotating+disk+electrodes%22">Rotating disk electrodes</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Bimetallic+catalysts%22">Bimetallic catalysts</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Nitrogen+cycle%22">Nitrogen cycle</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Atomic+hydrogen%22">Atomic hydrogen</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Electrochemical+analysis%22">Electrochemical analysis</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Denitrification%22">Denitrification</searchLink>
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: • Cu 5 Ni@NC electrode shows excellent eNO 3 RR performance, with 99.19 % NO 3 - removal efficiency and 75.03 % NH 4 +-N selectivity. • Ni enhances aquatic active hydrogen generation, facilitating oxynitride hydrogenation during eNO 3 RR. • Ni shifts the catalyst's d-band center, improving nitrate and intermediate adsorption. • A detailed nitrate-to-ammonia conversion pathway is revealed through in-situ spectroscopic analysis. Accelerated industrialization combined with over-applied nitrogen fertilizers results in serious nitrate pollution in surface and ground water, disrupting the balance of the global nitrogen cycle. Electrochemical nitrate reduction (eNO 3 RR) emerges as an attractive strategy to simultaneously enable nitrate removal and decentralized ammonia fabrication, restoring the globally perturbed nitrogen cycle. However, complex deoxygenation-hydrogenation processes and sluggish proton-electron transfer kinetics significantly hinder practical application of eNO 3 RR. In this study, we developed carbon-coated Cu-Ni bimetallic catalysts derived from metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) to facilitate eNO 3 RR. The unique structural features of catalyst promote enhanced synergy between Cu and Ni, effectively addressing critical challenges in nitrate reduction. Comprehensive structural and electrochemical analysis demonstrate that electrochemical nitrate-to-nitrite conversion mainly takes place on active Cu sites, the introduction of Ni could efficiently accelerate the generation of aquatic active hydrogen, promoting the hydrogenation of oxynitrides during eNO 3 RR. In addition, Ni introduction could push up the d-band center of the catalyst, thus enhancing the adsorption and activation of nitrate and the corresponding intermediates. Detailed reaction pathways for nitrate-to-ammonia conversion are illuminated by rotating disk electrode (RDE), in-situ Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, in-situ Raman spectrum and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Benefiting from the synergistic effect of Cu and Ni, optimum catalyst exhibited excellent nitrate reduction performance. This work provides a new idea for elucidating the underlying eNO 3 RR reaction mechanisms and contributes a promising strategy for designing efficient bimetallic electrocatalysts. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
– Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright
  Label:
  Group: Ab
  Data: <i>Copyright of Journal of Environmental Sciences (Elsevier) is the property of Elsevier B.V. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
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RecordInfo BibRecord:
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    Identifiers:
      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1016/j.jes.2025.03.032
    Languages:
      – Code: eng
        Text: English
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      Pagination:
        PageCount: 10
        StartPage: 23
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Rotating disk electrodes
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Bimetallic catalysts
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Nitrogen cycle
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Atomic hydrogen
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Electrochemical analysis
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Denitrification
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Enhanced nitrate reduction to ammonia using Cu-Ni catalyst: Synergistic mechanisms and reaction pathways.
        Type: main
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            NameFull: Qu, Yansen
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            NameFull: Li, Xin
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            NameFull: Xia, Yingjie
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            NameFull: Lan, Haosheng
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            NameFull: Ding, Le
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            NameFull: Zhong, Jing
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            NameFull: Chang, Xinghua
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          Dates:
            – D: 01
              M: 01
              Text: Jan2026
              Type: published
              Y: 2026
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              Value: 159
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            – TitleFull: Journal of Environmental Sciences (Elsevier)
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