Chloride doping of Co4S3 via methanol solvothermal synthesis for enhanced electrocatalytic nitrate reduction to ammonia

The electrocatalytic reduction of nitrate offers an environmentally friendly means of eliminating hazardous nitrate from wastewater while simultaneously yielding ammonia, a vital fertilizer precursor. Given the importance of nitrate reduction for environmental remediation and the potential of electrochemical methods, the development of a highly efficient and selective electrocatalyst specifically for nitrate reduction to ammonia (NO 3 ER) is crucial. The Cl-doped Co 4 S 3 (Cl-Co 4 S 3 ) catalyst was successfully synthesized via a solvothermal method in methanol, aiming to enhance nitrate electroreduction. The incorporation of chlorine was found to modulate the local electronic environment around cobalt atoms, enhancing their reactivity and leading to exceptional catalytic performance for nitrate reduction, leading to exceptional catalytic performance. At an operating potential of −0.61 V vs. the reversible hydrogen electrode, Cl-Co 4 S 3 exhibited remarkable Faradaic efficiency (97.64 ± 2.03 %) and yield rate (0.652 ± 0.012 mmol h −1 cm −2 ) for ammonia production, surpassing the majority of reported electrocatalysts for NO 3 ER.