Development of high-entropy alloy catalysts for ammonia electrosynthesis via electrochemical nitrate reduction under real operating conditions

• Grant number: 25/07431-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: October 01, 2025
• End date: September 30, 2028
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Chemistry - Physical-Chemistry
• Principal Investigator: Raphael Nagao de Sousa
• Grantee: Fabiano Mendonça de Oliveira
• Host Institution: Instituto de Química (IQ). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil
• Company: Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Instituto de Química (IQ)
• Associated research grant: 17/11986-5 - Generation and storage of New Energy: bringing technological development for the country, AP.PCPE

Abstract

The nitrogen cycle has been globally disrupted by the excessive use of fertilizers for food production. One of the most harmful symptoms of this disruption is the accumulation of reactive nitrogen in the environment, primarily nitrate-the most oxidized nitrogen-derived species-which is a severe pollutant in groundwater, rivers, and lakes. Electrochemical nitrate reduction emerges as a sustainable alternative both for removing this species from effluents and for synthesizing ammonia. In this context, high-entropy alloys (HEAs) stand out as promising catalytic materials due to their multiphase composition and tunable properties, ensuring high stability and catalytic activity. Based on this, the project proposes the development of HEA-based catalysts, exploring their physicochemical and electrochemical properties to optimize nitrate conversion into ammonia. The goal is to obtain catalysts with high efficiency, stability, and scalability potential, surpassing the state-of-the-art benchmarks in electrochemical nitrate reduction to ammonia.