Open AgRh Hollow Nanocubes With Interfacial Step Matching for Selective Nitrate‐to‐Ammonia Electrosynthesis
ABSTRACT Electrochemical nitrate‐to‐ammonia (NO 3 − to NH 3 ) conversion offers a promising route for NO 3 − removal and distributed NH 3 synthesis. However, its efficiency is constrained by sluggish NO 3 − activation, incomplete hydrogenation, and competing hydrogen evolution. Herein, open AgRh alloy hollow nanocubes (AgRh hNCs) are reconstructed from Ag nanocubes through a chloride‐assisted alloying and etching process. The catalyst possesses a porous, nanograin‐assembled framework with a Rh‐enriched near‐surface region, enhancing both mass transport and interfacial electronic coupling. Consequently, AgRh hNCs achieve up to 98% Faradaic efficiency for NH 3 , an NH 3 yield rate of 10.6 mg h −1 mg cat −1 , and excellent durability in the alkaline nitrate reduction reaction (NO 3 RR). Combined theoretical and experimental studies reveal a tandem‐like interfacial step‐matching mechanism, in which Ag promotes the NO 3 ‐to‐NO 2 step, while Rh‐centered sites drive deep hydrogenation of nitrogen‐containing intermediates to NH 3 . Moreover, AgRh hNCs show high hydrazine oxidation reaction (HzOR) activity, enabling a membrane‐separated NO 3 RR||HzOR electrolyzer with a 1.58 V lower cell voltage than the oxygen evolution reaction‐coupled system at 10 mA cm −2 . This work demonstrates that integrating an open hollow structure with cooperative Ag‐Rh interfacial sites is an effective strategy for selective NO 3 − ‐to‐NH 3 electrosynthesis.
Authors
- Xueqing Gao (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0004-2320-1531)
- Shibin Yin (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1539-4474)
- Xi-Kun Zhou
- Bin Sun (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7755-4309)
- Xuan Ai (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6577-5665)
- Yu Chen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9545-6761)
- Zi-Tong Zeng
- Zi-Hang Wang
- Ming‐Xuan Shi
Institutions
- Guangxi University (CN)
- Hebei University of Science and Technology (CN)
- Hebei Chemical and Pharmaceutical College (CN)
- Shaanxi Normal University (CN)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Advanced Energy Materials
- Published
- 2026-08-25
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1002/aenm.71507
- Primary Topic
- Ammonia Synthesis and Nitrogen Reduction
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- National Natural Science Foundation of China
- Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities