Citation: Jian Cai, Ying Zhou, Han Zhu. Atomic-scale homogeneity in an ordered high-entropy intermetallic drives efficient nitrate reduction and high-performance Zn–NO₃⁻ battery[J]. Chinese Chemical Letters, ;2026, 37(12): 112775. doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2026.112775 shu

Atomic-scale homogeneity in an ordered high-entropy intermetallic drives efficient nitrate reduction and high-performance Zn–NO₃⁻ battery

Jian Cai ^a ,
Ying Zhou ^b ,
Han Zhu ^{a, *,}

a.
Key Laboratory of Synthetic and Biological Colloids, Ministry of Education, School of Chemical and Material Engineering, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
b.
College of Textile Science and Engineering (International Institute of Silk), Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou 310018, China

zhysw@jiangnan.edu.cn

Received Date: 4 February 2026
Revised Date: 8 April 2026
Accepted Date: 14 April 2026
Available Online: 16 April 2026

Figures(4)

The electrochemical reduction of nitrate to ammonia offers a sustainable route for simultaneous wastewater remediation and decentralized NH₃ production, yet it requires advanced catalysts capable of precisely managing the complex multi-step reaction pathway. Herein, we report the rational design of a high-entropy intermetallic (HEI), (FeCoNiCu)₆Sn₅, which serves as a highly efficient and exceptionally stable electrocatalyst for nitrate-to-ammonia conversion. The HEI catalyst achieves a remarkable NH₃ Faradaic efficiency of 97.4% and a high yield rate of 23.3 mg h⁻¹ mg_cat⁻¹, maintaining robust stability over 150 h of continuous operation. Mechanistic investigations reveal that this outstanding performance stems from an ingenious synergistic division of site-specific functions: The Cu component promotes nitrate adsorption and initial reduction to nitrite, the Fe/Co/Ni components enhance subsequent hydrogenation kinetics, and the Sn component effectively suppresses the competing hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). When integrated into a practical Zn–NO₃⁻ battery system, the (FeCoNiCu)₆Sn₅ cathode simultaneously delivers a peak power density of 4.32 mW/cm² alongside continuous ammonia production. This work establishes a versatile and powerful platform based on HEI for the precise construction of multicomponent catalysts, offering a new frontier for sustainable electrochemical synthesis.
- High-entropy intermetallics,
- Nitrate reduction reaction,
- Ammonia electrosynthesis,
- Catalyst design,
- Zinc-NO₃⁻ batteries
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通讯作者: 陈斌, bchen63@163.com

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沈阳化工大学材料科学与工程学院沈阳 110142

Atomic-scale homogeneity in an ordered high-entropy intermetallic drives efficient nitrate reduction and high-performance Zn–NO3− battery

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通讯作者: 陈斌, bchen63@163.com

Atomic-scale homogeneity in an ordered high-entropy intermetallic drives efficient nitrate reduction and high-performance Zn–NO₃⁻ battery