Zhang Ying, Xu Tongxin, Shang Yabing, Zhang Guoxin, Yan Zi-Feng
Laboratory of Heavy Oil Processing, China University of Petroleum (East China), Qingdao, Shandong 266580, China.
College of Energy Storage Technology, Shandong University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, Shandong 266590, China.
J Colloid Interface Sci. 2023 Nov 15;650(Pt A):669-675. doi: 10.1016/j.jcis.2023.07.031. Epub 2023 Jul 7.
Nitrate synthesis via the electrochemical nitrogen oxidation reaction (e-NOR) is widely recognized as a potential alternative to the energy-intensive Ostwald process. However, electrocatalysts with strong N adsorption and activation abilities remain largely undeveloped due to kinetic hindrances caused by the high bond energy of NN. Here we designed a hollow WO sphere with an optimal concentration of oxygen vacancies and studied its e-NOR performance. The optimally synthesized oxygen-deficient WO (WO) achieved a high nitrate yield of 311.15 µmol hg and a Faraday efficiency of 2.00 %, which is probably due to the presence of a moderate amount of oxygen vacancies on the WO surface and the hollow spherical structure, which further improves the accessibility of the inner active surface. Our work could potentially stimulate research into transition metal oxide-based materials for e-NOR applications.
