Electrocatalytic Upcycling of Nitrate Wastewater into an Ammonia Fertilizer via an Electrified Membrane
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
8-16-2022
Abstract
Electrochemically upcycling wastewater nitrogen such as nitrate (NO3-) and nitrite (NO2-) into an ammonia fertilizer is a promising yet challenging research topic in resource recovery and wastewater treatment. This study presents an electrified membrane made of a CuO@Cu foam and a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) membrane for reducing NO3- to ammonia (NH3) and upcycling NH3 into (NH4)2SO4, a liquid fertilizer for ready-use. A paired electrolysis process without external acid/base consumption was achieved under a partial current density of 63.8 ± 4.4 mA·cm-2 on the cathodic membrane, which removed 99.9% NO3- in the feed (150 mM NO3-) after a 5 h operation with an NH3 recovery rate of 99.5%. A recovery rate and energy consumption of 3100 ± 91 g-(NH4)2SO4·m-2·d-1 and 21.8 ± 3.8 kWh·kg-1-(NH4)2SO4, respectively, almost outcompete the industrial ammonia production cost in the Haber-Bosch process. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations unraveled that the in situ electrochemical conversion of Cu2+ into Cu1+ provides highly dynamic active species for NO3- reduction to NH3. This electrified membrane process was demonstrated to achieve synergistic nitrate decontamination and nutrient recovery with durable catalytic activity and stability.
Identifier
85135956150 (Scopus)
Publication Title
Environmental Science and Technology
External Full Text Location
https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.1c08442
e-ISSN
15205851
ISSN
0013936X
PubMed ID
35862245
First Page
11602
Last Page
11613
Issue
16
Volume
56
Grant
2016472
Fund Ref
National Science Foundation
Recommended Citation
Gao, Jianan; Shi, Ning; Li, Yifan; Jiang, Bo; Marhaba, Taha; and Zhang, Wen, "Electrocatalytic Upcycling of Nitrate Wastewater into an Ammonia Fertilizer via an Electrified Membrane" (2022). Faculty Publications. 2723.
https://digitalcommons.njit.edu/fac_pubs/2723