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Electrocatalytic reduction of nitrate and nitrite at Nafion-coated electrodes in concentrated sodium hydroxide solution

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/665915· OSTI ID:665915
 [1];  [2];  [3]
  1. Lanzhou Univ., Ganzu (China). Dept. of Chemistry
  2. Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States). Dept. of Chemistry
  3. E.I. DuPont de Nemours and Co., Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River Lab.

The electrochemical reduction of nitrate ions in alkaline solution has been studied using various cathode materials and is the basis for a patent describing the conversion of nitrate into hydroxide ion in carbonate solutions. Recently, Taniguchi et al. have reported that certain well studied transition metal cyclic amine complexes, namely Co(III)-cyclam and Ni(II)-cyclam where cyclam is 1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradecane, efficiently electrocatalyze the reduction of nitrate and nitrite to hydroxylamine at mercury electrodes. Here the authors report that the metal cyclam catalyst can be incorporated into a Nafion film electrode, and that the reduction of nitrate and nitrite proceeds efficiently at these electrodes in concentrated NaOH solution. Nafion is a perfluoroalkanesulfonated cation exchange material that has been widely used to immobilize redox couples at electrode surfaces, including electrocatalysis species.

Research Organization:
E.I. DuPont de Nemours and Co., Savannah River Lab., Aiken, SC (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
DOE Contract Number:
AC09-89SR18035
OSTI ID:
665915
Report Number(s):
DP-MS--88-106; ON: DE98006514
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English