Ambient electrosynthesis of ammonia with efficient denitration

The NH3 electrosynthesis under ambient conditions represents an attractive alternative to the traditional Haber-Bosch industrial process, and NO is one of the major air pollutants. Here, with single-atom-site Nb catalyst, the ambient electrochemical denitration of NO exhibited a record high NH3 yield rate of 8.2 x 10(-8) mol cm(-2) s(-1), which is two orders of magnitude larger than those achieved by the best-reported catalysts for the ambient NH3 electrosynthesis and approaches the US Department of Energy target. Theoretical calculations reveal that the single-atomic Nb sites not only facilitate the NO adsorption but also lower the energy barrier of the potential determining step.