High single-pass conversion of nitrous oxide to dinitrogen in gas-diffusion-electrolyzer

Electrocatalytic N 2 O reduction reaction offers a sustainable solution of converting greenhouse gas N 2 O to N 2 under ambient conditions, but achieving high single-pass conversion remains challenging. Here, we present a gas-diffusion-electrolyzer system with copper-silver bimetallic nanoalloy serving as the catalyst for efficient N 2 O reduction, realizing a single-pass conversion rate of 79.4% and a decomposition rate of 1381.7 μmol h −1 mg cat −1 for 10 vol.% N 2 O. Computational fluid dynamics simulation shows that the system optimizes gas flow regime and reduces diffusion distance compared to batch system, ensuring a uniform N 2 O distribution over cathode surface. The combination of Ag with Cu synergistically facilitates the adsorption, hydrogenation, and cleavage of the N–O bond in N 2 O. Techno-economic assessment indicates the levelized N 2 O decomposition cost varies between 1.66−2.14 US$ kg −1 . Our findings underscore the substantial potential and practical viability of electrocatalytic N 2 O decomposition.