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Emerging Atomically Engineered RuNi-Zn-ZIF-8 Catalyst for Remarkably High Electrocatalytic Nitrate Reduction to Ammonia and Electrocatalytic Oxygen Evolution Reaction
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Emerging Atomically Engineered RuNi-Zn-ZIF-8 Catalyst for Remarkably High Electrocatalytic Nitrate Reduction to Ammonia and Electrocatalytic Oxygen Evolution Reaction

Aparna Jamma, Sourav Bhowmick, Uttam Kumar Ghorai, Ragunath Madhu, Subrata Kundu, B Moses Abraham and Ujjwal Pal
Small (Weinheim an der Bergstrasse, Germany), v 22(15), 12253
01 Mar 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/smll.202512253
PMID: 41563006
url
https://doi.org/10.1002/smll.202512253View
Published, Version of Record (VoR)Maybe Open Access (Publisher Bronze),  Open

Abstract

Chemistry Chemistry, Multidisciplinary Chemistry, Physical Materials Science, Multidisciplinary Nanoscience & Nanotechnology Physics, Applied Physics, Condensed Matter Science & Technology Science & Technology - Other Topics Materials Science Physical Sciences Physics Technology
Here, we report an atomic substitution strategy between RuNi-Alloy and ZIF-8 to synthesize Ni single-atom catalyst (SAC) supported on a carbon-nitrogen framework (CNF), derived via high temperature calcination (900 degrees C) of RuNi-ZIF-8. The resulting atomically engineered (RuZn)/Ni-CN exhibits multifunctional activity for both Nitrate reduction reaction (NO3RR) and Oxygen evolution reaction (OER). In NO3RR, (RuZn)/Ni-CN delivers a high ammonia yield of 10199 & micro;g h(-1) mg(cat)(-1) with 84% Faradaic efficiency (FE) at -0.9 V vs. RHE. This performance is obtained using a Pt anode in a 0.1 M NaNO3 solution containing 0.1 m Na2SO4, following the optimization of pH. (RuZn)/Ni-CN achieves superior OER performance, with an overpotential of 303 mV at 50 mA cm(-2) and exhibits low charge transfer resistance (0.43 Omega) and a small Tafel slope (62 mV/dec), indicating fast reaction kinetics. The TOF reaches 0.3278 & times; 10(-3) s(-1) and retains long-term operational stability with negligible degradation for 30 h. (RuZn)/Ni-CN acted as a bifunctional catalyst in cathode and anode and delivered highest ammonia yield and FE of 10123 & micro;g h(-1) mg(cat)(-1) and 83%, respectively. EXAFS and structural analyses confirm strong metal-support interactions, with Ni as coordinatively unsaturated single atoms and minor clusters that synergistically enhance activity.

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