Relating Near-Surface Ti Electrode Structure with Electrochemical Nitrate Reduction Performance Via Synchrotron X-Ray Characterization

• DOI: 10.1149/ma2023-01472516mtgabs
• Publication Date: 2023-09-19T23:39:38Z
• Authors: Matthew Junjie Liu; Jinyu Guo; Adam S. Hoffman; Joakim H. Stenlid; Michael T. Tang; Elizabeth R. Corson; Kevin H. Stone; Frank Ablid-Pedersen; Simon R. Bare; William Abraham T...
• Keywords: 13. Climate action; 7. Clean energy; 6. Clean water; 12. Responsible consumption

The global nitrogen cycle has been severely skewed since the widespread adoption of Haber-Bosch process to produce ammonia (NH 3 ). Currently, removal reactive (inorganic forms besides N 2 ) from environment lags behind its production and emission environment. Nitrate is one most prevalent waterborne pollutants and, in excess, threatens health ecosystems. Enabling a sustainable food-energy-water nexus requires feeding growing population while minimizing environmental impacts. Therefore, selective electrochemical nitrate reduction (NO RR) NH can couple water purification production, helping offset energy- carbon-intensive Haber Bosch process. recovery emissions could contribute over 20 million tons per year by 2050 (~ 10% projected demand). Noble transition metal catalysts including single metals (e.g., Pt, Rh, Ru, Ir, Pd, Cu, Ag, Au) [1,2] alloys CuNi) [3] have studied for NO RR. Notably, under acidic conditions, polycrystalline titanium demonstrated display robust efficient [4] Ti corrosion-resistant, poor hydrogen evolution catalyst, readily available, abundant metal. However, reducing water-stable hydride (TiH x , 0<x≤2). [5] It remains unclear how degree surface formation – which alters physical electronic properties electrode impacts RR performance. Thus, rationally implementing Ti-catalyzed improved understanding near-surface Ti-hydride influences activity selectivity. In this work, we show that function duration magnitude applied potential. A combination ex situ grazing-incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXRD probes long-range, crystalline order) absorption spectroscopy (XAS short-range, atom-specific probe into local coordination environments) enabled quantitative characterization electrodes. Through testing density functional theory calculations, investigated role may play conversion. Our results preliminary suggest content plays relatively minor steering performance compared potential electrolyte effects. addition, are performing ongoing GIXRD XAS measurements interrogate transient nature interplay Put context, our help prioritize processes be optimized electrified wastewater remediation. [1] G. E. Dima, A. C. de Vooys, M. T. Koper, Journal Electroanalytical Chemistry 2003 554–555 15–23. [2] L. Beltramo, Electrochimica Acta 2005 50 4318–4326. Y. Wang, Xu, Z. Huang, J. Li, F. Wicks, Luo, D.-H. Nam, C.-S. Tan, Ding, Wu, Lum, C.-T. Dinh, D. Sinton, Zheng, H. Sargent, Am. Chem. Soc. 2020 142 5702–5708. McEnaney, S. Blair, Nielander, Schwalbe, Koshy, Cargnello, Jaramillo, ACS Sustainable Eng. 8 2672–2681. Liu, Ren, R. Schaller, Asselin, Electrochem. 2019 166 C3096–C3105.