Self-supported porous copper oxide nanosheet arrays for efficient and selective electrochemical conversion of nitrate ions to nitrogen gas

doi:10.1016/j.jmst.2022.06.054

Abstract

Abstract: Electrochemical techniques have shown advantages for the removal of low-concentration nitrate. Here, copper oxide nanosheets were grown on self-supporting nickel foam (NF) to prepare electrodes (CuO/NF), which realized the rapid and highly selective conversion of nitrate pollutants in sewage into nontoxic and harmless N₂. The CuO/NF afforded 100% NO₃^- removal within 100 min and 99.53% selectivity for N₂ at -50 mA without producing a lot of by-products (NO₂^-, NH₄⁺, and N₂H₄). Furthermore, 81.8% of NO₃^- was removed under the given conditions after six experimental repetitions. These results suggest that the catalyst has excellent electrochemical stability. The performance of CuO/NF for the electrocatalytic removal of NO₃^- in simulated wastewater (which contained Cl^- and SO₄^2-) was almost unaffected. Because of the high efficiency, high stability, and low cost of CuO/NF, this catalyst is practical for the removal of nitrate for wastewater purification.

Key words: Electrocatalysis, Nitrate reduction, Copper oxide nanosheet, Selective conversion, Nitrogen gas

Xue Li, Xue Zhao, Jiapei Lv, Xiuxiu Jia, Shuxing Zhou, Yimin Huang, Fengqin Chang, Hucai Zhang, Guangzhi Hu. Self-supported porous copper oxide nanosheet arrays for efficient and selective electrochemical conversion of nitrate ions to nitrogen gas[J]. J. Mater. Sci. Technol., 2023, 137: 104-111.

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