Work

Dual-metal sites in MOF synergistic boosting NH 3 production under low-nitrate concentration

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: The electrocatalytic conversion of nitrate to ammonia has made significant progress as a promising strategy for removing NO3- and producing NH3. However, there is a lack of an efficient electrocatalyst to achieve highly selective NH3 synthesis under low concentration NO3- conditions. In this study, we design and synthesize a bimetallic copper-containing MOF (CuInL4, L = 4-4-(Pyridin-4yl) benzoic acid), named InCu-MOF, which possesses 2-fold interpenetrating structure and high-density catalytic sites. InCu-MOF is the first MOF catalyst applied to NH3 synthesis at low NO3- concentration. Benefiting from the regulation of electronic properties and synergistic catalytic effects of two metal active sites, InCu-MOF exhibits high catalytic activity for the low concentration of NO3RR for the first time. At a potential of -1.0 V (vs. RHE), InCu-MOF achieves NH3 faradaic efficiency (FE) of 82% and yield rate of 892 µg h-1mgcat-1, which FE is 2.6-fold and yield rate are 8.1-fold higher than that of In-MOF. The design and synthesis of this interpenetrating bimetallic MOF provides an idea for the construction of an efficient catalyst at low NO3- concentrations.

Source: Nano Research

DOI: 10.26599/nr.2025.94907592