Spin polarized Fe1−Ti pairs for highly efficient electroreduction nitrate to ammonia

Abstract Electrochemical nitrate reduction to ammonia offers an attractive solution to environmental sustainability and clean energy production but suffers from the sluggish *NO hydrogenation with the spin–state transitions. Herein, we report that the manipulation of oxygen vacancies can contrive spin−polarized Fe 1 −Ti pairs on monolithic titanium electrode that exhibits an attractive NH 3 yield rate of 272,000 μg h −1 mg Fe −1 and a high NH 3 Faradic efficiency of 95.2% at −0.4 V vs. RHE, far superior to the counterpart with spin−depressed Fe 1 −Ti pairs (51000 μg h –1 mg Fe –1 ) and the mostly reported electrocatalysts. The unpaired spin electrons of Fe and Ti atoms can effectively interact with the key…

• NS
  Natural Science Foundation of Shanghai

  Award: 22ZR1431700
• NN
  National Natural Science Foundation of China

  Awards: 2021YFA1201701, 22273068, U21A20286, U22A20394, U22A20402, 22102100, 22206121
• PU
  Pohang University of Science and Technology
• CP
  China Postdoctoral Science Foundation

  Awards: 2021M702117, 2022M722080
• SJ
  Shanghai Jiao Tong University
• WU
  Wuhan University
• NP
  National Postdoctoral Program for Innovative Talents

  Award: BX20220197
• NK
  National Key Research and Development Program of China

  Awards: 2021YFA1201701, U21A20286