Research & Initiatives
Electrochemical reduction is an encouraging treatment technology to transform and reduce nitrate. Scientific and engineering challenges lie on uncovering alternative electrocatalysts based on high-efficient earth-abundant elements to platinum group element electrodes.
This research aims to (1) provide a framework for selecting promising earth-low-cost abundant elements to electrocatalytically degrade nitrate in drinking water. Additionally, the use of nanoparticles in tridimensional modified electrodes may enhance treatment performance, improve the selectivity of the electrodes to a specific by-product, as well as reduce capital cost.
Apart from proposing novel nano-enabled bimetallic electrocatalysts embedded on tridimensional electrodes, (2) the design and construction of different electrochemical reactors for nitrate remediation is expected.
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While most studies have focused on ideal lab made solutions, translation to higher technology readiness levels and commercialization will require (3) reframing research questions in context of real water matrices and deal with new challenges. Last, but not the least (4) real-time Scanning Electrochemical Microscopy analysis of nitrate reduction would be interesting to elucidate nitrate removal mechanisms.
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Briefly, the main objective of NITRATE’s project is to advance with science, translating the results into an improvement of the technology readiness level related to the treatment of waters containing nitrate, and making it accessible to everyone by open access publications.
