Graphdiyne‐Stabilized Cobalt Oxyhydroxide Quantum Dots for Efficient Nitrate‐to‐Ammonia Electrocatalysis

The electrocatalytic nitrate reduction reaction (NtRR) offers a sustainable and promising alternative to the energy‐intensive Haber–Bosch process for ambient ammonia (NH 3 ) synthesis. However, its practical application is limited by sluggish reaction kinetics and low selectivity due to competing side reactions. Herein, we demonstrate the in situ transformation of cobalt oxyhydroxide (CoOOH) nanosheets into a well‐defined quantum dot (QD) architecture induced by a graphdiyne (CoOOH@GDY). Experiments combined with theoretical results demonstrate that the noninteger charge transfer between sp‐C and Co atoms at the interface enables precise electronic modulation, the formation of abundant low‐coordination sites and grain boundaries, optimized adsorption ability for reaction intermediates, and high intrinsic catalytic activity. As a result, the obtained CoOOH@GDY electrocatalyst exhibited exceptional NtRR performance, achieving a remarkable Faradaic efficiency of 98.01%, a high NH 3 yield rate of 1644 µmol h −1 cm −2 in 1 M KOH with 0.1 M NO 3 − , and high operational stability. This work highlights the great potential of GDY‐mediated interface engineering for the rational design of high‐performance electrocatalysts.

Authors

Institutions

Publication Details

Journal
ChemSusChem
Published
2026-07-16
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1002/cssc.70885
Primary Topic
Ammonia Synthesis and Nitrogen Reduction
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
article

Graphdiyne‐Stabilized Cobalt Oxyhydroxide Quantum Dots for Efficient Nitrate‐to‐Ammonia Electrocatalysis

Yurui Xue, Zhiqiang Zheng, Zhaoyang Chen, Yuliang Li et al.
ChemSusChem
Ammonia Synthesis and Nitrogen Reduction
article

Graphdiyne‐Stabilized Cobalt Oxyhydroxide Quantum Dots for Efficient Nitrate‐to‐Ammonia Electrocatalysis

Yurui Xue, Zhiqiang Zheng, Zhaoyang Chen, Yuliang Li, Lu Qi, Qi Wang
article en

Abstract

The electrocatalytic nitrate reduction reaction (NtRR) offers a sustainable and promising alternative to the energy‐intensive Haber–Bosch process for ambient ammonia (NH 3 ) synthesis. However, its practical application is limited by sluggish reaction kinetics and low selectivity due to competing side reactions. Herein, we demonstrate the in situ transformation of cobalt oxyhydroxide (CoOOH) nanosheets into a well‐defined quantum dot (QD) architecture induced by a graphdiyne (CoOOH@GDY). Experiments combined with theoretical results demonstrate that the noninteger charge transfer between sp‐C and Co atoms at the interface enables precise electronic modulation, the formation of abundant low‐coordination sites and grain boundaries, optimized adsorption ability for reaction intermediates, and high intrinsic catalytic activity. As a result, the obtained CoOOH@GDY electrocatalyst exhibited exceptional NtRR performance, achieving a remarkable Faradaic efficiency of 98.01%, a high NH 3 yield rate of 1644 µmol h −1 cm −2 in 1 M KOH with 0.1 M NO 3 − , and high operational stability. This work highlights the great potential of GDY‐mediated interface engineering for the rational design of high‐performance electrocatalysts.

ChemSusChemVol. 19(14)
Jilin University (CN), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CN), University of Jinan (CN), Institute of Chemistry (CN), State Key Laboratory of Supramolecular Structure and Materials
Openalex Percentile: Top 22%
Ammonia Synthesis and Nitrogen Reduction
AI Navigator

Ask Laika to Summarize, Analyze, and Connect papers live on the map.

Summarize Papers & Methodologies

Extract key findings, datasets, and comparative methods across publications.

Benchmark Rankings & Visual Analytics

Rank top research institutions, authors, funders, topics, and journals by Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) and paper volume with instant charts.

Connect Distant Disciplines

Bridge topological clusters on the map to find hidden collaborative intersections.