Citation: Yuxin Zeng, Yan Luo, Yao He, Kaihang Zhang, Binbin Zhu, Yuanzheng Zhang, Junfeng Niu. Photo-assisted electrocatalysis with bimetallic PdCu/TiO_x catalysts: Enhancing denitrification and economic viability[J]. Chinese Chemical Letters, ;2025, 36(6): 110514. doi: 10.1016/j.cclet.2024.110514 shu

Photo-assisted electrocatalysis with bimetallic PdCu/TiO_x catalysts: Enhancing denitrification and economic viability

Yuxin Zeng ^{a, b} ,
Yan Luo ^a ,
Yao He ^a ,
Kaihang Zhang ^c ,
Binbin Zhu ^a ,
Yuanzheng Zhang ^{a, *,} ,
Junfeng Niu ^a

a.
College of Environmental Science and Engineering, North China Electric Power University, Beijing 102206, China
b.
State Key Laboratory of Water Environment Simulation, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
c.
Brook Byers Institute of Sustainable Systems and School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, United States

zhangyz@ncepu.edu.cn

Received Date: 6 May 2024
Revised Date: 25 July 2024
Accepted Date: 27 September 2024
Available Online: 28 September 2024

Figures(4)

Electrocatalysis for nitrate (NO₃^–) removal from wastewater faces the challenge of merging efficient reduction and high selectivity to nitrogen (N₂) with economic viability in a durable catalyst. In this study, bimetallic PdCu/TiO_x composite catalysts were synthesized with varying Pd and Cu ratios through electrochemical deposition on defective TiO_x nanotube arrays. Denitrification experiments demonstrated that the Pd₁Cu₁/TiO_x catalyst exhibited the highest NO₃^– removal rate (81.2%) and N₂ selectivity (67.2%) among all tested catalysts. Leveraging the exceptional light-responsive property of TiO_x, the introduction of light energy as an assisting factor in electrocatalysis further augmented the NO₃^– treatment rate, resulting in a higher NO₃^– removal rate of 95.1% and N₂ selectivity of approximately 90%. Compared to individual electrocatalysis and photocatalysis systems, the overpotential for the catalytic interface active *H formation in the photo-assisted electrocatalysis system was remarkably reduced, thus accelerating electron migration and promoting NO₃^– reduction kinetics. Economic analysis revealed an energy consumption of 2.74 kWh/mol and a corresponding energy consumption per order (E_EO) of 0.79 kWh/m³ for the Pd₁Cu₁/TiO_x catalyst to reduce 25.2 mg/L of NO₃^–-N in water to N₂, showcasing remarkable competitiveness and economic advantages over other water treatment technologies. This study developed the PdCu/TiO_x electrocatalysts with high NO₃^– removal rates and N₂ selectivity, particularly when combined with light energy, the efficiency and selectivity were significantly enhanced, offering a competitive and economically viable solution for wastewater treatment.
- Nitrate reduction,
- Photo-assisted electrocatalysis,
- PdCu/TiO_x composite catalyst,
- Nitrogen selectivity,
- Economic analysis
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沈阳化工大学材料科学与工程学院沈阳 110142

Photo-assisted electrocatalysis with bimetallic PdCu/TiOx catalysts: Enhancing denitrification and economic viability

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通讯作者: 陈斌, bchen63@163.com

Photo-assisted electrocatalysis with bimetallic PdCu/TiO_x catalysts: Enhancing denitrification and economic viability