High single-pass conversion of nitrous oxide to dinitrogen in gas-diffusion-electrolyzer

Electrocatalytic N₂O reduction reaction offers a sustainable solution of converting greenhouse gas N₂O to N₂ under ambient conditions, but achieving high single-pass conversion remains challenging. Here, we present a gas-diffusion-electrolyzer system with copper-silver bimetallic nanoalloy serving as the catalyst for efficient N₂O reduction, realizing a single-pass conversion rate of 79.4% and a decomposition rate of 1381.7 μmol h⁻¹ mgcat⁻¹ for 10 vol.% N₂O. Computational fluid dynamics simulation shows that the system optimizes gas flow regime and reduces diffusion distance compared to batch system, ensuring a uniform N₂O distribution over cathode surface. The combination of Ag with Cu synergistically facilitates the adsorption, hydrogenation, and cleavage of the N-O bond in N₂O. Techno-economic assessment indicates the levelized N₂O decomposition cost varies between 1.66-2.14 US$ kg⁻¹. Our findings underscore the substantial potential and practical viability of electrocatalytic N₂O decomposition.