Electrocatalytic nitrogen oxidation (NOR)—the green alternative to the century-old, energy-guzzling Ostwald process—has long been stifled by the formidable 941 kJ mol⁻¹ N≡N bond and the relentless competition from oxygen evolution. In a breakthrough review published in Nano-Micro Letters , researchers from Liaoning University and RMIT University, led by Professors Hui Mao and Tianyi Ma, demonstrate how interface-engineered 2D PdS 2 nanoplates decisively overcome both hurdles, delivering record nitrate yields with unprecedented stability.
Why PdS 2 Now Matters
Enduring Performance Under Harsh Conditions
Mechanistic Insight: Sulfate as the Silent Co-Catalyst
Real-time ATR-SEIRAS captures the ascent of bridging bidentate nitrate peaks (1245 & 1646 cm -1 ) that mirror anodic current, confirming an associative distal pathway. DFT charge-density maps reveal that SO 4 2- modulates electron donation from Pd to *NNOH, weakening the N–N bond and accelerating turnover. Electrochemical impedance collapses from 2.7 kΩ to 310 Ω, underscoring faster interfacial charge transfer.
Future Outlook
The imitating-growth protocol is substrate-agnostic—ready to be ported to MXene, g-C 3 N 4 , or other novel TMDs. Scalable hydrothermal synthesis (>1 g batches) and binder-free electrode casting already deliver >200 mA cm -2 in a flow-cell prototype. Coupled with renewable electricity, this sulfate-coupled platform could decentralize nitrate production, cutting CO 2 emissions from the Ostwald process by more than 70 %. Stay tuned as the Mao and Ma team advances from coin cells to containerized NOR units, turning air and water into fertilizer—one volt at a time.
Nano-Micro Letters
Experimental study
In Situ Generated Sulfate-Facilitated Efficient Nitrate Electrosynthesis on 2D PdS2 with Unique Imitating Growth Feature
12-Jun-2025