A research team led by Professor Xinhe Bao from the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics has developed a copper-palladium bimetallic catalyst that efficiently converts nitrate waste into ammonia. Its highly active interfaces, at which copper and palladium atoms are in direct contact with each other, specifically control the electrochemical nitrate reduction and increase the formation of ammonia. This method is a gentle alternative to the Haber-Bosch process, which requires fossil raw materials as well as high temperatures and pressures.
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If renewable electricity is used, the electrochemical synthesis produces “green” ammonia with an improved carbon footprint, which can be used as a raw material for fertilizers, for example. The catalyst opens up prospects for sustainable agriculture, nitrogen recovery from wastewater, and low-carbon energy systems in which ammonia serves as an energy source or hydrogen store.