Research Center for Process and Prevention of Water Pollution

Dr. Ling Fang published a technical paper “Boosting nitrate electroreduction to ammonia via in situ generated stacking faults in oxide-derived copper” in Chemical Engineering Journal (IF: 13.273), DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2022.137341. In this study, they found that the pristine Cu oxides could be transformed into Cu (oxide-derived Cu) with a high density of stacking faults during the electrocatalytic nitrate reduction reaction. The oxide-derived Cu with in situ generated stacking faults causes tensile strain, which was favorable for NO₃^- adsorption and makes the metallic Cu more active. This work offers a new strategy of altering the electrocatalyst properties by in situ generating stacking faults from its oxides during nitrate reduction. Prof. Hong Liu is the corresponding author of this paper.