Dual-function FeCo bimetallic nanoclusters for ammonia electrosynthesis from nitrate/nitrite reduction.

Ammonia (NH) plays a vital role in agriculture and chemical manufacturing, yet its conventional production is energy-intensive and environmentally harmful. Developing cleaner, more efficient alternatives is essential. Here we show a newly developed dual-metal nanocluster catalyst, FeCo/NC, that effectively converts nitrate and nitrite pollutants into NH through an electrochemical process. This catalyst achieves high NH production rates and Faradaic efficiency, surpassing single-metal Fe/NC and Co/NC catalysts, and remains stable over extended use. When incorporated into nitrate- or nitrite-based zinc batteries, the system enables simultaneous NH production and electricity generation, highlighting its potential for coupled energy recovery and environmental remediation. This work provides valuable design principles for bimetallic nanocluster catalysts and offers a promising strategy for the sustainable conversion of nitrogen-containing waste into useful chemicals.