Dual‐Coordinated Cu(I) Sites Immobilized on Ti <sub>3</sub> C <sub>2</sub> T <i> <sub>x</sub> </i> MXene for Efficient Conversion of Low‐Concentration Nitrate toward Ammonia
Abstract Copper‐based materials have emerged as promising electrocatalysts for nitrate reduction. However, achieving efficient nitrate‐to‐ammonia conversion at low concentrations (usually ≤ 10 mmol L −1 ) under neutral conditions remains a grand challenge. Here cooperative dual Cu + sites are crafted on Ti 3 C 2 T x MXene via coordination with the surface −O and −Cl functional groups, using an in situ self‐reduction strategy, for electrochemical nitrate reduction. The resulting dual‐active‐site Cu(I)/Ti 3 C 2 T x electrocatalyst achieves a NO 3 − removal efficiency of 97.6% and an ammonia selectivity of 94.7% in neutral wastewater containing 100 mg L −1 NO 3 − at −0.8 V versus the reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE). Mechanistic investigations using in situ Raman spectroscopy, online differential electrochemical mass spectrometry (DEMS), and quantum chemical calculations reveal that the dual Cu + sites, in conjunction with hydrogen‐spillover facilitated by the Ti 3 C 2 T x MXene, significantly enhance water dissociation to produce more absorbed active hydrogen. This process lowers the energy barrier for hydrogenating the *NO intermediate, which is regarded as the rate‐determining step in Cu‐based catalysts. Further the feasibility of an electrochemical NO 3 − reduction‐coupled hydroponic fertilizing system is demonstrated for enabling simultaneous nitrate removal and wheat cultivation. This work provides a new paradigm for designing electrocatalysts to advance the “waste‐to‐wealth” conversion of nitrate‐containing wastewater for sustainable agriculture.
Authors
- Zhiqun Lin (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3158-9340)
- Yu‐Jia Zeng (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5662-0717)
- Jianran Ren
- Mingxing Liang
- Yifeng Shi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2299-1186)
- Mengyao He
- Libo Deng (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4063-9218)
Institutions
- National University of Singapore (SG)
- Shenzhen University (CN)
- Sichuan Provincial Architectural Design and Research Institute (China) (CN)
- China Architecture Design & Research Group (China) (CN)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Advanced Functional Materials
- Published
- 2025-09-04
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1002/adfm.202514022
- Citations
- 1
- Primary Topic
- Ammonia Synthesis and Nitrogen Reduction
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.39
Funders
- National Natural Science Foundation of China
- China Postdoctoral Science Foundation
- Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province
- Shenzhen Science and Technology Innovation Program