CuxIr1–x Nanoalloy Catalysts Achieve Near 100% Selectivity for Aqueous Nitrite Reduction to NH3

Nitrite (NO 2 – ) is an abundant contaminant in nature that threatens human health. A catalytic process that converts NO 2 – to less harmful products has been proven to be an effective strategy for NO 2 – removal. Most previous studies, however, targeted selectivity toward N 2 using Pd catalysts, which severely limits the potential for the recovery of value-added byproducts from the catalytic process. Here, we report experimental and theoretical evidence that both Ir and Cu x Ir (100– x ) nanoparticles possess near 100% NH 3 selectivity for NO 2 – reduction compared to the <1% NH 3 selectivity achieved by nano-Pd. These NH 3 -selective catalysts could be useful for both water purification and ammonia production.