Electroreduction of nitrate ions at a platinum-copper electrode in an alkaline medium: Influence of sodium inositol phytate

The electrochemical behavior of a Pt-Cu (copper-platinum) electrode on the electroreduction of nitrate and nitrite ions has been investigated in an alkaline medium (0.05 M NaOH) in the presence of 5 mM sodium inositol phytate (NaIP6). Different electrode materials (Cu, Pt, and Pt-Cu) were used to study their activity and selectivity towards the electroreduction of nitrates and nitrites using cyclic voltammetry. The Pt-Cu electrode shows the best performance. The addition of NaIP6 is to prevent the oxidation of copper atoms to copper ions. The effect of NaIP6 on the optimization of the electrode activity and stability was investigated in this study. The presence of NaIP6 further improves the performance of the Pt-Cu electrode especially the stability of the electrode. The final nitrate and nitrite reduction product is ammonia (NH3) which was observed both in the presence and absence of NaIP6, although different mechanism pathways are assumed to have taken place in both systems.

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