The nitrogen cycle is one of the most important biochemical cycles. However, the development of human society has led to a substantial release of nitrogen oxide species, both as ions (NO_x⁻) and gases (NO_x), into the environment, causing a considerable burden on the natural denitrification processes. Electrocatalytic reduction of NO_x⁻ and NO_x emerges as a promising approach to transform these waste products into valuable ammonia, thereby contributing to the restoration of the nitrogen cycle. This review provides a concise overview of recent advances in electrocatalytic NO_x⁻ and NO_x reduction to ammonia, including detailed reaction mechanisms, catalyst development strategies based on both theoretical and experimental results, and the design and selection of electrolytic cells. Furthermore, it highlights key challenges associated with scaling up the reaction from laboratory-scale to practical industrial-scale application and explores potential opportunities to upgrade this reaction.

中文翻译：

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将氮氧化物物质电催化还原为氨


氮循环是最重要的生化循环之一。然而，人类社会的发展导致氮氧化物种类以离子 （NO_x⁻） 和气体 （NO_x） 的形式大量释放到环境中，对自然反硝化过程造成了相当大的负担。NO_x⁻ 和 NO_x 的电催化还原成为将这些废物转化为有价值的氨的一种很有前途的方法，从而有助于恢复氮循环。本文简要概述了电催化 NO_x⁻ 和 NO_x 还原为氨的最新进展，包括详细的反应机理、基于理论和实验结果的催化剂开发策略以及电解槽的设计和选择。此外，它强调了将反应从实验室规模扩大到实际工业规模应用相关的关键挑战，并探讨了升级该反应的潜在机会。