Electrochemical NOx reduction using a carbon nanospiked catalyst

Electrochemical NOx reduction was studied using a novel, nanostructured nitrogen-doped carbon nanospikes catalyst (CNS). NOx is a major environment and health concern that is typically eliminated using noble-metal gas-phase catalytic reactors. Alternatively, an electrocatalytic approach may reduce NOx to N2 using electric potential and reaction, foregoing noble metal catalysis. For these studies nitrate 〖(NO〗_3^-) and nitrite (〖NO〗_2^-) (the end products of dissolved NOx in water) were used as surrogate reagents. Basic solutions were more favorable than acidic solutions for nitrate reduction. The nitrate reduction reaction with three different electrolytes, Lithium hydroxide, Sodium hydroxide, and Potassium hydroxide has been compared. Identification and quantification tests for nitrate, nitrite, and ammonia indicated that nitrite is an intermediate product during nitrate reduction. The final product with sodium hydroxide is ammonia. Potassium hydroxide and lithium hydroxide suggested no formation of ammonia. However, it suggested a possibility of formation of nitrogen and oxygen.

Grantor dc:publisher

University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

Author dc:creator

• Patel, Shikha

Contributors dc:contributor

• Palchoudhury, Soubantika
• Margraves, Charles; Rondinone, Adam
• College of Engineering and Computer Science

• Nitrogen oxides -- Environmental aspects

Licence

• https://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en

Language dc:language

English, eng

Repository record dc:identifier

https://scholar.utc.edu/theses/494

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:scholar.utc.edu:theses-1637