Research on the Electrochemical Catalytic Reduction Performance of NO to Ammonia with Cu–Co Alloy

Nitric oxide (NO) removal is crucial for mitigating environmental issues such as acid rain, photochemical smog, and ozone depletion. Electrochemical NO reduction reaction (NORR) offers a sustainable pathway to simultaneously eliminate NO and produce value-added ammonia (NH₃), leveraging renewable electricity and operating under mild conditions. In this study, a Cu–Co alloy supported on carbon paper was evaluated as an electrocatalyst for NORR in a three-electrode H-type cell with 3% NO concentration. The performance was compared against bare carbon paper. Results demonstrate that the Cu–Co alloy significantly enhances NH₃ yield and Faradaic efficiency due to improved selectivity and suppression of the competing hydrogen evolution reaction. This work highlights the potential of Cu–Co alloys for efficient NO conversion under low-concentration conditions relevant to industrial exhaust treatment.