Full runner electrolyzer stack for industrial-current-density NOx −-mediated ammonia synthesis from air and water
Abstract Plasma-electrochemical tandem conversion with NOx − as intermediates promises a route for renewable ammonia (NH3) synthesis from air and water. However, a critical challenge lies in developing electrolyzers capable of operating efficiently at large current densities. Here, we present a scal...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Nature Communications |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-61069-6 |
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| author | Wei Liu Yang Lv Honghui Ou Jiqiu Zhang Yuxi Ren Mengyang Xia Yang Li He Li Xiaoling Ren Huagui Hu Guidong Yang |
| author_facet | Wei Liu Yang Lv Honghui Ou Jiqiu Zhang Yuxi Ren Mengyang Xia Yang Li He Li Xiaoling Ren Huagui Hu Guidong Yang |
| author_sort | Wei Liu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Plasma-electrochemical tandem conversion with NOx − as intermediates promises a route for renewable ammonia (NH3) synthesis from air and water. However, a critical challenge lies in developing electrolyzers capable of operating efficiently at large current densities. Here, we present a scalable membrane electrode assembly electrolyzer with a full runner design (MEA-FR) that achieves efficient NH3 production at industrial current densities. Compared to conventional serpentine runner configuration, MEA-FR leveraging forced convection within porous electrodes achieves three-order-of-magnitude enhancement in NOx − mass transfer flux. This design, meanwhile, generates strong shear forces across the porous electrode, promoting rapid detachment of O2 bubbles at the anode and reducing overpotential losses. Notably, MEA-FR exhibits a high Faradaic efficiency of 91.8 ± 1.4% for NH3 synthesis at 500 mA cm−2, significantly outperforming the serpentine runner counterparts (64.9 ± 1.1%). Furthermore, a scaled-up 4 × 25 cm2 MEA-FR stack with four modular cells is assembled with rotationally symmetric bipolar plates, delivering high NOx − conversion efficiency (>95%), high Faradaic efficiency (>91%), and long-term stability (>200 h) under industrial-relevant current densities. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-d0e827feffda44db8856494f5f34782f |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2041-1723 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Nature Communications |
| spelling | doaj-art-d0e827feffda44db8856494f5f34782f2025-08-20T03:37:37ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232025-07-0116111210.1038/s41467-025-61069-6Full runner electrolyzer stack for industrial-current-density NOx −-mediated ammonia synthesis from air and waterWei Liu0Yang Lv1Honghui Ou2Jiqiu Zhang3Yuxi Ren4Mengyang Xia5Yang Li6He Li7Xiaoling Ren8Huagui Hu9Guidong Yang10State Key Laboratory of Fluorine & Nitrogen Chemicals, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Xi’an Jiaotong UniversityState Key Laboratory of Fluorine & Nitrogen Chemicals, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Xi’an Jiaotong UniversityState Key Laboratory of Fluorine & Nitrogen Chemicals, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Xi’an Jiaotong UniversityState Key Laboratory of Fluorine & Nitrogen Chemicals, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Xi’an Jiaotong UniversityState Key Laboratory of Fluorine & Nitrogen Chemicals, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Xi’an Jiaotong UniversityState Key Laboratory of Fluorine & Nitrogen Chemicals, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Xi’an Jiaotong UniversityState Key Laboratory of Fluorine & Nitrogen Chemicals, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Xi’an Jiaotong UniversityState Key Laboratory of Fluorine & Nitrogen Chemicals, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Xi’an Jiaotong UniversityState Key Laboratory of Fluorine & Nitrogen Chemicals, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Xi’an Jiaotong UniversityChina Energy Yulin Chemical CompanyState Key Laboratory of Fluorine & Nitrogen Chemicals, School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Xi’an Jiaotong UniversityAbstract Plasma-electrochemical tandem conversion with NOx − as intermediates promises a route for renewable ammonia (NH3) synthesis from air and water. However, a critical challenge lies in developing electrolyzers capable of operating efficiently at large current densities. Here, we present a scalable membrane electrode assembly electrolyzer with a full runner design (MEA-FR) that achieves efficient NH3 production at industrial current densities. Compared to conventional serpentine runner configuration, MEA-FR leveraging forced convection within porous electrodes achieves three-order-of-magnitude enhancement in NOx − mass transfer flux. This design, meanwhile, generates strong shear forces across the porous electrode, promoting rapid detachment of O2 bubbles at the anode and reducing overpotential losses. Notably, MEA-FR exhibits a high Faradaic efficiency of 91.8 ± 1.4% for NH3 synthesis at 500 mA cm−2, significantly outperforming the serpentine runner counterparts (64.9 ± 1.1%). Furthermore, a scaled-up 4 × 25 cm2 MEA-FR stack with four modular cells is assembled with rotationally symmetric bipolar plates, delivering high NOx − conversion efficiency (>95%), high Faradaic efficiency (>91%), and long-term stability (>200 h) under industrial-relevant current densities.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-61069-6 |
| spellingShingle | Wei Liu Yang Lv Honghui Ou Jiqiu Zhang Yuxi Ren Mengyang Xia Yang Li He Li Xiaoling Ren Huagui Hu Guidong Yang Full runner electrolyzer stack for industrial-current-density NOx −-mediated ammonia synthesis from air and water Nature Communications |
| title | Full runner electrolyzer stack for industrial-current-density NOx −-mediated ammonia synthesis from air and water |
| title_full | Full runner electrolyzer stack for industrial-current-density NOx −-mediated ammonia synthesis from air and water |
| title_fullStr | Full runner electrolyzer stack for industrial-current-density NOx −-mediated ammonia synthesis from air and water |
| title_full_unstemmed | Full runner electrolyzer stack for industrial-current-density NOx −-mediated ammonia synthesis from air and water |
| title_short | Full runner electrolyzer stack for industrial-current-density NOx −-mediated ammonia synthesis from air and water |
| title_sort | full runner electrolyzer stack for industrial current density nox mediated ammonia synthesis from air and water |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-61069-6 |
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