Cobalt-Nanoparticles-Decorated 3D Porous Nitrogen-Doped Carbon Network for Electrocatalytic Nitrite Reduction to Ammonia

Electrocatalytic nitrite (NO2–) reduction offers the potential to synthesize high-value ammonia (NH3) while simultaneously removing NO2– pollution from aqueous solutions, but it requires high-efficiency catalysts to drive the complex six-electron reaction. Herein, cobalt-nanoparticle-decorated 3D porous nitrogen-doped carbon network (Co@NC) is proven as a high-efficiency catalyst for the selective electroreduction of NO2– to NH3. Such Co@NC attains a large NH3 yield of 922.7 μmol h–1 cm–2 and a high Faradaic efficiency of 95.4% under alkaline conditions. Furthermore, it shows remarkable electrochemical stability during cyclic electrolysis.