To address the high energy consumption and carbon emissions of the
traditional Haber-Bosch process, the team developed a Joule heating method to
rapidly synthesize homogeneous copper-based bimetallic catalysts (CuNi, CuFe,
CuPd). This ultra-fast method—completed in just seconds—uses high-temperature
decomposition and rapid quenching to form nano-alloy catalysts with uniform
dispersion and small particle sizes.Among the catalysts, CuNi exhibited the best performance, achieving an ammonium selectivity of 98% and a yield of 49%, outperforming monometallic Cu catalysts significantly in the electrochemical reduction of nitrate (NO??) to (NH??).
More importantly, this approach not only tackles
nitrate-polluted wastewater but also transforms pollutants into valuable
resources—an ideal embodiment of the Circular Economy: turning waste into
wealth with high efficiency and sustainability.
Published in: Separation and Purification
Technology
DOI: