State Key Laboratory for Modification of Chemical Fibers and Polymer Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, China.
ARC Centre of Excellence for Electromaterials Science, Intelligent Polymer Research Institute, Australian Institute of Innovative Materials, Innovation Campus, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia.
Chem Soc Rev. 2022 Apr 4;51(7):2710-2758. doi: 10.1039/d1cs00857a.
Nitrate enrichment, which is mainly caused by the over-utilization of fertilisers and industrial sewage discharge, is a major global engineering challenge because of its negative influence on the environment and human health. To solve this serious problem, many technologies, such as the activated sludge method, reverse osmosis, ion exchange, adsorption, and electrodialysis, have been developed to reduce the nitrate levels in water bodies. However, the applications of these traditional techniques are limited by several drawbacks, such as a long sludge retention time, slow kinetics, and undesirable by-products. From an environmental perspective, the most promising nitrate reduction technology is enabled to convert nitrate into benign N, and features low cost, high efficiency, and environmental friendliness. Recently, electrocatalytic nitrate reduction has been proven by satisfactory research achievements to be one of the most promising methods among these technologies. This review provides a comprehensive account of nitrate reduction using electrocatalysis methods. The fundamentals of electrocatalytic nitrate reduction, including the reaction mechanisms, reactor design principles, product detection methods, and performance evaluation methods, have been systematically summarised. A detailed introduction to electrocatalytic nitrate reduction on transition metals, especially noble metals and alloys, Cu-based electrocatalysts, and Fe-based electrocatalysts is provided, as they are essential for the accurate reporting of experimental results. The current challenges and potential opportunities in this field, including the innovation of material design systems, value-added product yields, and challenges for products beyond N and large-scale sewage treatment, are highlighted.
硝酸盐富集会对环境和人类健康造成负面影响，主要是由于肥料过度使用和工业污水排放造成的，是一个全球性的重大工程挑战。为了解决这个严重的问题，已经开发了许多技术，例如活性污泥法、反渗透、离子交换、吸附和电渗析，以降低水体中的硝酸盐水平。然而，这些传统技术的应用受到几个缺点的限制，例如污泥停留时间长、动力学缓慢和产生不良副产品。从环境角度来看，最有前途的硝酸盐还原技术是将硝酸盐转化为良性的 N，具有低成本、高效率和环境友好性。最近，电催化硝酸盐还原技术已被证明是这些技术中最有前途的方法之一，通过令人满意的研究成果得到了证实。本综述全面介绍了用电催化方法还原硝酸盐。系统总结了电催化硝酸盐还原的基本原理，包括反应机制、反应器设计原则、产物检测方法和性能评估方法。详细介绍了过渡金属（特别是贵金属和合金、Cu 基电催化剂和 Fe 基电催化剂）上的电催化硝酸盐还原，因为它们对于准确报告实验结果至关重要。强调了该领域当前的挑战和潜在机遇，包括材料设计系统的创新、增值产品产量以及超越 N 和大规模污水处理的产品的挑战。
