Construction of FeCo@N-CNTs heterojunction structures for efficient electrocatalytic cathodic nitrate reduction coupled with anodic HPAM oxidation reactions
摘要
The construction of an electrocatalytic NO3− reduction and polyacrylamide (HPAM) oxidation coupled reaction system represents a promising approach for simultaneously achieving ammonia synthesis and HPAM degradation. In this work, FeCo@N-CNTs with a well-defined heterojunction structure were successfully synthesized and employed as an efficient bifunctional electrocatalyst in the NO3− reduction and HPAM oxidation coupled reaction. In the coupled reaction system, The FeCo@N-CNTs catalyst delivered a maximum ammonia yield rate and Faradaic efficiency of 6097.96 ± 15.83 µg h− 1 mgcat−1 and 92.03 ± 1.48%, respectively, while achieving an HPAM degradation rate of 89.99 ± 0.37% within 2 h. In-situ ATR-SEIRAS and in-situ DEMS analyses identified *NHOH as a key intermediate during the ammonia synthesis process and revealed that the heterojunction structure effectively regulates charge distribution and active-site exposure on the catalyst surface. This study offers a new strategy for designing coupled electrochemical systems toward efficient NO3⁻ reduction and organic pollutant oxidation, providing valuable insights for sustainable nitrogen-cycle conversion and wastewater treatment.