Recent Advances in Electrocatalytic Nitrate Reduction: Strategies To Promote Ammonia Synthesis

Electrocatalytic nitrate-to-ammonia conversion is a promising and alternative sustainable approach for replenishing the nitrogen cycle pathway under mild conditions. Developing high-performance functional catalysts is the key to improving the electrocatalytic nitrate reduction reaction (NO3RR), which directly affects the overall reaction pathway and production rate. Various strategies have been proposed to accelerate catalyst interfacial electron transfer and increase the selectivity toward ammonia production. This paper timely reviews the controllable tactics used to design highly efficient electrocatalysts for ammonia production, including defect modification, crystal regulation, and composite engineering. Simultaneously, perspectives on the main factors that influence the activity and selectivity of the NO3RR from various engineered materials are also provided. Finally, we propose the objective issues, future trends for optimizing electrocatalysts, and potential challenges for the practical industrial application of the electrocatalytic NO3RR. Overcoming the mentioned limitations will facilitate further development of advanced electrocatalytic NO3RR technology.