Heteroatoms co-doped copper nanocrystals with negatively shifted d-band center for selective nitrate-to-ammonia production

Phosphorus and oxygen co-doped copper (Cu/CuPO) electrocatalyst is proposed and demonstrated to boost 8-electron transfer process, for highly efficient nitrate reduction to ammonia. Cu/CuPO achieves NH3 Faradaic efficiency, NH3 yield rate and NO3− conversion rate up to 91.72%, 1.22 mmol/h cm−2 and 91.09%, respectively, in high concentration NO3−-N electrolyte (1400 ppm).