In‐Situ Exsolving Silver Nano‐islands on High‐Entropy Perovskites for Energy‐Efficient Coupled Nitrate Reduction and Sulfide Oxidation
Electrochemical nitrate reduction to ammonia (NO<sub>3</sub>RR) is a promising pathway for nitrogen recycling but remains hindered by complex multistep kinetics and severe competition from the hydrogen evolution reaction. Coupling NO<sub>3</sub>RR with the sulfide oxidation reaction (SOR) offers an energy-efficient alternative by simultaneously enabling dual-pollutant remediation with value-added products. Herein, we report an in situ exsolution strategy to construct a tandem electrocatalyst composed of exsolved Ag nano-islands (NIs) anchored on a high-entropy perovskite oxide matrix (Ag-LaSrAgFeCoO<sub>x</sub>). The structural complexity and abundant oxygen vacancies (O<sub>v</sub>) of the LaSrAgFeCoO<sub>x</sub> synergistically interact with the exsolved Ag NIs, creating spatially and functionally distinct active sites. As a result, the Ag-LaSrAgFeCoO<sub>x</sub> catalyst achieves high NH<sub>4</sub> <sup>+</sup> Faradaic efficiency of 97.6% and yield rate of 0.35 mmol h-<sup>1</sup> cm<sup>-2</sup>. In situ characterization and theoretical calculations reveal a relay catalytic mechanism in which Ag sites of Ag NIs preferentially activate NO<sub>3</sub> <sup>-</sup>, while O<sub>v</sub>-rich LaSrAgFeCoO<sub>x</sub> promotes intermediates hydrogenation and NH<sub>3</sub> desorption, alongside efficient hydrogen supply. Moreover, the bifunctional Ag-LaSrAgFeCoO<sub>x</sub> enables energy-efficient NO<sub>3</sub>RR||SOR coupling, delivering a positive open-circuit potential of 557 mV and stable co-production of ammonia and sulfur. This work highlights high-entropy materials as a powerful platform for tandem electrocatalysis in complex coupled reactions.
Authors
- Jiace Hao (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5378-4652)
- Ziqi Zhuang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0007-2144-6182)
- Zhen Wang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7668-1370)
- Ge Gao (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2845-9222)
- Ruohan Yu
- Han Zhu
- Mingliang Du
- Tongde Wang
- Guangming Wu
Institutions
- Jiangnan University (CN)
- Tongji University (CN)
- Xiamen University (CN)
- Sanya University (CN)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Angewandte Chemie International Edition
- Published
- 2026-03-11
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.3805070
- Primary Topic
- Ammonia Synthesis and Nitrogen Reduction
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00