Engineering Interfacial Water Activation via Synergistic Defect and Aggregate Carbon Dots Layer for Efficient Nitrate-to-Ammonia Electrocatalysis

Key Points

• The central aim is to enhance the efficiency of ammonia synthesis from nitrate via electrocatalysis by utilizing a novel carbon dots layer.
• Developed a carbon dots layer to activate interfacial water.
• Studied the effects of aggregate and defect structures on electron transfer.
• Conducted experiments to evaluate nitrate reduction to ammonia efficiency.
• Achieved significantly improved electrocatalytic performance for nitrate reduction.
• Demonstrated a more stable operation compared to previous methods.
• Identified optimal conditions for multi-electron transfer.