News / Press Release

NSRRC Unveils  'Smart' Catalyst for Turning Nitrate-Polluted Water into Clean Fuel
2026/05/12
Research Team
As countries around the world race toward cleaner energy and environmental sustainability, scientists are searching for better ways to efficiently convert nitrate-contaminated wastewater into valuable ammonia (NH3). A joint research team from Taiwan’s National Synchrotron Radiation Research Center (NSRRC), under the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC), and Curtin University in Australia has developed a new “smart” catalyst based on antiperovskite structured ternary copper-cobalt-nitride (CuNCo3), marking a major milestone for wastewater treatment and green ammonia energy transition. Their findings were published on February 12 in the internationally renowned journal Advanced Materials.

Converting nitrate into ammonia through electrochemical reactions has long been considered challenged. The process is often plagued by sluggish reaction kinetics and interference from competing side reactions. Conventional catalysts also often suffer from structural instability and the accumulation of unwanted byproducts, which severely limits ammonia yield and selectivity.

The breakthrough lies in a newly designed catalyst: antiperovskite-type ternary copper cobalt nitride (CuNCo3). This material features unique electronic interactions between copper and cobalt. As nitrate molecules approach the catalyst surface, the cobalt atoms dynamically switch their “spin state,” triggering highly active cobalt sites. By optimizing how nitrate molecules attach, these sites lower the energy barrier and significantly accelerate ammonia production.

Using advanced in situ/operando characterization techniques at the Taiwan Photon Source (TPS) and Taiwan beamlines at Japan’s SPring-8, the team monitored the catalyst in real time. The techniques included X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), X-ray emission spectroscopy (XES), and infrared microspectroscopy (ATR-FTIR). Dr. Yan-Gu Lin of NSRRC emphasized that the ability to track the changes in the electronic structures, local bonding environments, and reaction intermediates at the active sites in real-time strips away the mystery of catalytic processes, offering unprecedented clarity into how catalysts truly function at the active site. The results successfully confirmed the central role of the “smart” spin-state switching of cobalt atoms in boosting catalytic performance.

The new catalyst delivered outstanding performance, achieving near-100% Faradaic efficiency with minimal energy consumption for ammonia production while maintaining rapid and continuous ammonia production from high concentrations of nitrate, as well as excellent long-term stability during extended operation tests.

Beyond improving efficiency and stability, the study opens a new frontier in catalyst design by demonstrating how controlling the spin states of metal atoms can provide a new strategy for optimizing electrocatalytic reactions. Looking ahead, this breakthrough offers a powerful solution to global nitrate pollution while accelerating the shift toward sustainable, green ammonia-based energy. As industries seek greener technologies, this new catalyst represents an important step toward transforming environmental pollutants into sustainable energy resources.

https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.202523066