Photoelectrocatalytic reduction of N2 to NH3 simultaneous to the oxidation of the venlafaxine compound, using BiVO4/WO3 heterostructured photoanode and Fe nanoparticles supported on GDL cathode

• Grant number: 24/00777-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: May 01, 2024
• End date: April 30, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Chemistry - Analytical Chemistry
• Principal Investigator: Juliana Ferreira de Brito
• Grantee: Pedro Paes Mauriz
• Host Institution: Instituto de Química (IQ). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Araraquara. Araraquara , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The present project aims to develop a new, more economical, and environmentally friendly method for the production of ammonia (NH3) through photoelectrocatalytic reduction of dissolved nitrogen (N2), with the goal of minimizing the reactive conditions of the Haber-Bosch process typically used in the reaction between H2 and N2 under high pressure and temperature. The reduction will occur simultaneously with the oxidation of the antidepressant venlafaxine, a recalcitrant organic compound whose concentration in environmental matrices increases each year, making its effective and inexpensive degradation the subject of studies. To achieve this, we intend to investigate photoanodes capable of oxidizing the pollutant, generating protons, and directing the formed electrons to the cathode, enabling the conversion of N2 and H+ to NH3 under ambient conditions. Heterostructured BiVO4/WO3 semiconductor electrodes will be synthesized and applied as photoanodes in a two-compartment photoelectrocatalytic reactor under potential and irradiation. GDL electrodes doped with Fe nanoparticles will be studied as cathodes, where the reduction of N2 will take place. It is expected that the use of a photoanode directing electrons in a compartment separate from the cathode will favor the separation of photo-generated electrons, making them more available for the surface reduction of N2 at the cathodes, minimizing the recombination of electron/hole pairs, and increasing the efficiency of both organic effluent degradation and NH3 production. Additionally, similar yields in ammonia generation are expected from the degradation of effluents contaminated with venlafaxine as compared to those obtained using potable water.

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

MEDINA, MARINA; CARVALHO, VINICIUS JOSE; DA SILVA, LEANDERSON ARAUJO; BORGES, GABRIEL GONCALVES; CAPELUPI, THIAGO; PIANI, ARTHUR; MAURIZ, PEDRO PAES; GOMES, JOAO VITOR; DE BRITO, JULIANA FERREIRA. Electrocatalytic contributions from Brazilian research groups for clean energy conversion and environmental remediation. Journal of Solid State Electrochemistry, v. N/A, p. 41-pg., 2024-09-17. (24/00614-3, 24/00777-0, 23/14228-5, 23/10027-5)