High-performance red mud as an electrocatalyst for nitrate reduction toward ammonia synthesis

doi:10.1016/j.cjche.2024.09.027

中国化学工程学报 ›› 2025, Vol. 77 ›› Issue (1): 195-202.DOI: 10.1016/j.cjche.2024.09.027

High-performance red mud as an electrocatalyst for nitrate reduction toward ammonia synthesis

Qiannan Wang¹, Aaron S. Pittman^2,3,4,5, Yan Cao^1,2,3,4,5

1. College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, China;
2. School of Energy Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Guangzhou 510640, China;
3. Guangzhou Institute of Energy Conversion, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China;
4. CAS Key Laboratory of Renewable Energy, Guangzhou 510640, China;
5. Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New and Renewable Energy Research and Development, Guangzhou 510640, China

收稿日期:2024-04-26 修回日期:2024-09-18 接受日期:2024-09-19 出版日期:2025-01-28 发布日期:2024-11-13
通讯作者: Yan Cao,E-mail:caoyan@ms.giec.ac.cn
基金资助:
This work was supported by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (22178339), 2023 Innovation-driven Development Special Foundation of Guangxi Province (AA23023021) and the Hundred Talents Program (A) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

High-performance red mud as an electrocatalyst for nitrate reduction toward ammonia synthesis

Qiannan Wang¹, Aaron S. Pittman^2,3,4,5, Yan Cao^1,2,3,4,5

1. College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, China;
2. School of Energy Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Guangzhou 510640, China;
3. Guangzhou Institute of Energy Conversion, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China;
4. CAS Key Laboratory of Renewable Energy, Guangzhou 510640, China;
5. Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New and Renewable Energy Research and Development, Guangzhou 510640, China

Received:2024-04-26 Revised:2024-09-18 Accepted:2024-09-19 Online:2025-01-28 Published:2024-11-13
Contact: Yan Cao,E-mail:caoyan@ms.giec.ac.cn
Supported by:
This work was supported by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (22178339), 2023 Innovation-driven Development Special Foundation of Guangxi Province (AA23023021) and the Hundred Talents Program (A) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

摘要/Abstract

摘要： Red mud (RM) is a solid waste generated in the aluminum industry after the extraction of alumina oxide; its multiple elements and higher pH value likely pose a severe threat to the environment after treatment. However, RM's higher concentrations of metal components, particularly Fe₂O₃ and rare earth elements (REEs), render RM promising for catalytic application. Hence, this work showed an efficient high-speed RM to catalyze electrocatalytic nitrate-to-ammonia reduction reaction (NARR). RM calcined at 500 ℃ (RM-500) exhibited excellent catalytic performance. Faradaic efficiency of ammonia (FE_NH₃) in an electrolyte solution containing 1 mol·L^-¹ NO₃^- achieved a maximum value of 92.3% at -0.8 V (vs. RHE). Additionally, 24-h cycle testing and post-reaction PXRD and SEM indicated that the RM-500 electrocatalyst is stable during NARR. The RM-500 demonstrated a high FE of NH₃-to-NO₃^- of 89.7% at 1.85 V (vs. RHE), showing great potential in the ammonia fuel cells technology and achieving the nitrogen cycle.

关键词: Ammonia synthesis, Nitrate reduction, Red mud, Electrocatalyst, Stability

Abstract: Red mud (RM) is a solid waste generated in the aluminum industry after the extraction of alumina oxide; its multiple elements and higher pH value likely pose a severe threat to the environment after treatment. However, RM's higher concentrations of metal components, particularly Fe₂O₃ and rare earth elements (REEs), render RM promising for catalytic application. Hence, this work showed an efficient high-speed RM to catalyze electrocatalytic nitrate-to-ammonia reduction reaction (NARR). RM calcined at 500 ℃ (RM-500) exhibited excellent catalytic performance. Faradaic efficiency of ammonia (FE_NH₃) in an electrolyte solution containing 1 mol·L^-¹ NO₃^- achieved a maximum value of 92.3% at -0.8 V (vs. RHE). Additionally, 24-h cycle testing and post-reaction PXRD and SEM indicated that the RM-500 electrocatalyst is stable during NARR. The RM-500 demonstrated a high FE of NH₃-to-NO₃^- of 89.7% at 1.85 V (vs. RHE), showing great potential in the ammonia fuel cells technology and achieving the nitrogen cycle.

Key words: Ammonia synthesis, Nitrate reduction, Red mud, Electrocatalyst, Stability

Qiannan Wang, Aaron S. Pittman, Yan Cao. High-performance red mud as an electrocatalyst for nitrate reduction toward ammonia synthesis[J]. 中国化学工程学报, 2025, 77(1): 195-202.

Qiannan Wang, Aaron S. Pittman, Yan Cao. High-performance red mud as an electrocatalyst for nitrate reduction toward ammonia synthesis[J]. Chinese Journal of Chemical Engineering, 2025, 77(1): 195-202.

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High-performance red mud as an electrocatalyst for nitrate reduction toward ammonia synthesis

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