物理化学学报 >> 2025, Vol. 41 >> Issue (9): 100108.doi: 10.1016/j.actphy.2025.100108

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电化学降解污水中含氮废弃物的升值策略

孙明磊, 袁忠勇*()   

  1. 南开大学材料科学与工程学院, 天津 300350
  • 收稿日期:2025-02-12 修回日期:2025-04-27 录用日期:2025-05-28 发布日期:2025-07-04
  • 通讯作者: Email: zyyuan@nankai.edu.cn (袁忠勇)
  • 基金资助:
    国家自然科学基金(22179065); 南开大学材料科学与工程学院博士研究生科研创新基金资助项目

Valorization strategies for electrodegradation of nitrogenous wastes in sewage

Minglei Sun, Zhong-Yong Yuan*()   

  1. School of Materials Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin 300350, China
  • Received:2025-02-12 Revised:2025-04-27 Accepted:2025-05-28 Published:2025-07-04
  • Contact: Email: zyyuan@nankai.edu.cn (Zhong-Yong Yuan)
  • Supported by:
    the National Natural Science Foundation of China(22179065); the Ph.D. Candidate Research Innovation Fund of NanKai University School of Materials Science and Engineering

摘要:

由于工业和生活废水的大量排放,地表水水体中的氮污染已成为全球性的环境问题。新兴的电化学降解技术为高效降解含氮废物,如亲电污染物(硝酸盐和亚硝酸盐)和亲核污染物(尿素、氨氮和肼)提供了有前途的解决方案,同时能在电降解过程中实现增值产出。本文对污水中典型的含氮废弃物电降解过程中的升值策略进行了深入研究,重点阐释了提高价值输出效率的方法:(1) 通过构建锌-亲电性污染物电池实现能量与化学品产出;(2) 通过亲核污染物驱动的混合直接燃料电池实现能量输出;(3) 通过亲核性污染物辅助的电解水装置实现节能纯净氢能的生产;(4) 利用锌-亲核性污染物电池进行储能和制氢;(5) 通过C―N耦合反应产生有价值的化学产品。最后,我们对当前面临的挑战和未来前景进行了深入分析,以加深对先进电化学电池的理解,弥合实验试验与实际应用之间的差距。

关键词: 水净化, 电化学降解, 锌基电池, 电解水, 直接燃料电池, C―N耦合

Abstract:

The interconversion of N2 and N-containing compounds is central to the natural nitrogen cycle, one of the most important global biogeochemical cycles, which plays a crucial role in sustaining life across all organisms. Nitrogen pollution in surface water bodies, caused by the indiscriminate discharge of industrial and domestic wastewater, has become a global environmental concern. The excessive accumulation of nitrogenous wastes poses a serious threat to human health and disrupts the natural nitrogen cycle. Traditional water purification methods, such as chemical redox processes, physical adsorption, and biological treatments, often face limitations, including high energy consumption, low efficiency, large space requirements, prolonged treatment times, sludge generation, and high operating costs. Emerging electrochemical degradation techniques offer promising solutions for efficiently degrading nitrogenous wastes. These electrochemical technologies demonstrate advantages in cost-effectiveness, environmental friendliness, high efficiency, and broad applicability, while also presenting opportunities to generate added value during the electrodegradation processes. Nitrogen-containing wastes in wastewater can be classified into electrophiles (e.g., nitrate and nitrite) and nucleophiles (e.g., ammonia nitrogen, hydrazine, and urea) according to their redox properties. Based on the different properties of nitrogenous wastes, coupling corresponding electrochemical degradation reactions with tailored electrochemical energy storage and conversion devices provides opportunities for additional energy and value generation. Herein, advanced insights into valorization strategies during the electrodegradation processes of representative nitrogenous wastes in sewage are subtly provided, where the approaches for enhanced value output efficiency are highlighted, including (ⅰ) coupling the electroreduction of electrophilic pollutants with Zn-electrophile batteries to achieve energy output and simultaneous chemical production, (ⅱ) coupling electro-oxidation of nucleophilic pollutants with hybrid direct fuel cells to realize energy output, (ⅲ) applying hybrid water electrolysis systems assisted with nucleophilic wastes for energy-saving and clean H2 production, (ⅳ) assembling Zn-nucleophile batteries for energy storage and hydrogen production, and (ⅴ) producing valuable chemicals via C―N coupling processes. The cell design, coupled with selection criteria and optimizing strategies of advanced electrodes and cell configuration, is highlighted. Finally, an in-depth analysis of current challenges and future prospects is provided to deepen the understanding of advanced electrochemical cells and bridge the gap between experimental trials and practical applications with respect to mechanism investigation, electrode design and evaluation, and cell design.

Key words: Water purification, Electrodegradation, Zn-based battery, Water electrolysis, Direct fuel cell, C―N coupling