Author(s)

Gerald D. S. Quoie Jr.^1,2*, Jean Pierre Bavumiragira^1,2, Varney Kromah³

¹State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resources Reuse, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai, China.
²Key Laboratory of Yangtze River Water Environment, Ministry of Education, Tongji University, Shanghai, China.
³Department of Mining Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Liberia, Monrovia, Liberia.

Nitrate pollution is of great importance in both the environmental and health contexts, necessitating the development of efficient mitigation strategies. This review provides a comprehensive analysis of the many catalysts employed in the electrochemical reduction of nitrate to ammonia, and presents a viable environmentally friendly approach to address the issue of nitrate pollution. Hence, the electrochemical transformation of nitrate to ammonia serves the dual purpose of addressing nitrate pollution in water bodies, and is a useful agricultural resource. This review examines a range of catalyst materials such as noble and non-noble metals, metal oxides, carbon-based materials, nitrogen-doped carbon species, metal complexes, and semiconductor photocatalysts. It evaluates catalytic efficiency, selectivity, stability, and overall process optimization. The performance of catalysts is influenced by various factors, including reaction conditions, catalyst structure, loading techniques, and electrode interfaces. Comparative analysis was performed to evaluate the catalytic activity, selectivity, Faradaic efficiency, current density, stability, and durability of the catalysts. This assessment offers significant perspectives on the structural, compositional, and electrochemical characteristics that affect the efficacy of these catalysts, thus informing future investigations and advancements in this domain. In addition to mitigating nitrate pollution, the electrochemical reduction of nitrate to ammonia is in line with sustainable agricultural methods, resource conservation, and the utilization of renewable energy resources. This study explores the factors that affect the catalytic efficiency, provides new opportunities to address nitrate pollution, and promotes the development of sustainable environmental solutions.

Nitrate Pollution, Electrochemical Reduction, Ammonia, Sustainable Farming, Catalysts

Quoie Jr., G. , Bavumiragira, J. and Kromah, V. (2024) Advancements in Catalysts for Electrochemical Nitrate Reduction: A Sustainable Approach for Mitigating Nitrate Pollution: A Review. Modern Research in Catalysis, 13, 1-28. doi: 10.4236/mrc.2024.131001.