Bilayer electrified-membrane with pair-atom tin catalysts for near-complete conversion of low concentration nitrate to dinitrogen

Xuanhao Wu, Xiaoxiong Wang (), Yunshuo Wu, Huimin Xu, Zhe Li, Rongrong Hong, Kali Rigby, Zhongbiao Wu and Jae-Hong Kim ()
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Xuanhao Wu: Zhejiang University
Xiaoxiong Wang: Tsinghua University
Yunshuo Wu: Zhejiang University
Huimin Xu: Zhejiang University
Zhe Li: Zhejiang University
Rongrong Hong: Zhejiang University
Kali Rigby: Yale University
Zhongbiao Wu: Zhejiang University
Jae-Hong Kim: Yale University

Nature Communications, 2025, vol. 16, issue 1, 1-12

Abstract: Abstract Discharge of wastewater containing nitrate (NO3−) disrupts aquatic ecosystems even at low concentrations. However, selective and rapid reduction of NO3− at low concentration to dinitrogen (N2) is technically challenging. Here, we present an electrified membrane (EM) loaded with Sn pair-atom catalysts for highly efficient NO3− reduction to N2 in a single-pass electrofiltration. The pair-atom design facilitates coupling of adsorbed N intermediates on adjacent Sn atoms to enhance N2 selectivity, which is challenging with conventional fully-isolated single-atom catalyst design. The EM ensures sufficient exposure of the catalysts and intensifies the catalyst interaction with NO3− through mass transfer enhancement to provide more N intermediates for N2 coupling. We further develop a reduced titanium dioxide EM as the anode to generate free chlorines for fully oxidizing the residual ammonia (

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-56102-7

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