Ruthenium-Engineered Active Hydrogen Dynamics in Cobalt Hydroxide: Enabling Enhanced Ammonia Synthesis and Photothermally Assisted Zn-Nitrite Battery.

Authors

Qiancao Liu, Xuchen Liu, Aike Liu, Jing Jiang

Published in

Inorganic chemistry. Jul 08, 2026. Epub Jul 08, 2026.

Abstract

The electrocatalytic nitrite reduction reaction (NO₂RR) offers a viable route for converting nitrite-contaminated wastewater into high-value ammonia (NH₃) under mild conditions. However, its practical application is impeded by limited selectivity and slow kinetics, primarily stemming from an insufficient supply of active hydrogen (*H). Herein, we rationally design and fabricate a ruthenium nanoparticle-decorated cobalt hydroxide nanowire (Ru-Co(OH)₂) electrocatalyst for enhanced NO₂RR, achieving an ammonia yield rate of 7.71 mg h^-1 cm^-2 and a Faradaic efficiency (FE) of 93.1% at -0.5 V vs RHE. Operando spectroscopic studies and theoretical calculations reveal that the incorporation of Ru significantly strengthens interfacial water adsorption and lowers the water dissociation energy barrier. Moreover, by leveraging the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) of Ru, a photothermally assisted Zn-NO₂^- battery is exploited, which exhibits substantially increased power density under near-infrared (NIR) light illumination. This work highlights the potential of heterointerfacial electrocatalysts as a promising platform for advancing sustainable ammonia synthesis and nitrite remediation.

PMID:
42418769
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 09 Jul 2026.

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