Published by Todd Bush on August 9, 2024
A team of Australian and Japanese scientists has developed an effective catalyst with the remarkable ability to enhance the efficiency of ammonia conversion, which could significantly advance wastewater treatment, green nitrite and nitrate, as well as hydrogen production.
Catalysts are substances that speed up chemical reactions by providing a more efficient route for a reaction to occur and making it easier to start and finish. Since catalysts are neither consumed nor altered in the reaction, they can be used repeatedly, and they are essential in a variety of industrial, environmental, and biochemical processes.
Scanning electron micrograph of the catalyst, NiOOH-Ni, developed in this study. (Hanwen Liu, et al. Advanced Energy Materials. August 7, 2024)
>> In Other News: Hackberry Carbon Sequestration Launches
The team, which included researchers from Hokkaido University, the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) and elsewhere, developed the catalyst, called NiOOH-Ni, by combining nickel (Ni) with nickel oxyhydroxide.
Ammonia can cause severe environmental problems, such as excessive algal growth in water bodies, which depletes oxygen and harms aquatic life. At high concentrations, ammonia can harm humans and wildlife. Effective management and conversion of ammonia are thus critical, but its corrosive nature makes it difficult to handle.
The researchers developed NiOOH-Ni using an electrochemical process. Nickel foam, a porous material, was treated with an electrical current while immersed in a chemical solution. This treatment resulted in the formation of nickel oxyhydroxide particles on the foam’s surface.
Despite their irregular and non-crystalline structure, these nickel-oxygen particles significantly enhance ammonia conversion efficiency. The catalyst’s design allows it to operate effectively at lower voltages and higher currents than traditional catalysts.
Electrolysis of ammonia aqueous solution produces nitrite and nitrate on the NiOOH-Ni anode, and green hydrogen on the Ni2P-Ni cathode. This presents advantages over the currently used thermal ammonia cracking due to the simultaneous formation of hydrogen as an energy carrier and nitrite and nitrate as valuable chemicals under ambient conditions. (Hanwen Liu, et al. Advanced Energy Materials. August 7, 2024)
“NiOOH-Ni works better than Ni foam, and the reaction pathway depends on the amount of electricity (voltage) used,” explains Professor Zhenguo Huang from the University of Technology Sydney, who led the study.
“At lower voltages, NiOOH-Ni produces nitrite, while at higher voltages, it generates nitrate.”
This means the catalyst can be used in different ways depending on what is needed. For example, it can be used to clean wastewater by converting ammonia into less harmful substances. But in another process, it can also be used to produce hydrogen gas, a clean fuel. This flexibility makes NiOOH-Ni valuable for various applications.
“NiOOH-Ni is impressively durable and stable, and it works well even after being used multiple times,” says Associate Professor Andrey Lyalin from Hokkaido University, who was involved in the study.
“This makes it a great alternative to traditional, more expensive catalysts like platinum, which aren’t as effective at converting ammonia.”
The catalyst’s long-term reliability makes it suitable for large-scale industrial use, potentially transforming how industries handle wastewater and produce clean energy.
The study has been published in Advanced Energy Materials.
Follow the money flow of climate, technology, and energy investments to uncover new opportunities and jobs.
Inside This Issue 🛫 XCF Global Outlines Plan to Build Multiple SAF Production Facilities and Invest Nearly $1 Billion in Renewable Fuel Production Capacity by 2028 ⚓ Backgrounder: Government of Ca...
Inside This Issue ✈️ SAF Isn’t a Buzzword Anymore - It’s 2025’s Breakout Fuel 🏅 Global Energy Prize Awarded to Three Scientists From China, USA and Russia ⚡ ACES Delta I Hydrogen Production and St...
Inside This Issue 🛢️ Exxon's Gas Strike, EPA Smackdown, and Carbon Curveball 🏭 MHI Awarded Contract for Basic Design of Japan's Largest CO₂ Capture Plant at Hokkaido Electric Power's Tomato-Atsuma...
NewHydrogen Announces Its First Production of Clean Hydrogen
The Company achieves a major milestone and value inflection point by demonstrating real-time hydrogen production using its novel ThermoLoop™ heat-based water-splitting system SANTA CLARITA, Calif....
CF Industries Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: CF) today announced the start-up of the carbon dioxide (CO2) dehydration and compression facility at its Donaldsonville Complex in Louisiana. The facility will e...
Frontier Commits $1.75M to Advance Ocean Alkalinity and Mineralization Carbon Removal Startups
$1.75M in prepurchases made by Frontier on behalf of Stripe, Shopify, and Google to accelerate three early-stage carbon removal startups. Pioneering ocean alkalinity enhancement and surficial mine...
Climate Solutions Company Spiritus to Add Jobs, Expand Footprint in New Mexico
Spiritus Technologies PBC, a company engaged in sustainable carbon removal, has been awarded state LEDA assistance to add jobs and expand its footprint in New Mexico, through a program administered...
Follow the money flow of climate, technology, and energy investments to uncover new opportunities and jobs.