Abstract

Nitrite (NO 2− ) contamination poses significant environmental and health risks, necessitating efficient remediation strategies that also enable value-added chemical production. Herein, we report laser-assisted synthesis of AuPt alloy–decorated Cu (AuPt@Cu) microspheres via pulsed laser irradiation in liquid, a rapid, surfactant-free method. Systematic optimization of AuPt loading on Cu identified AuPt@Cu-4 exhibits superior electrocatalytic NO 2− reduction reaction (eNO2RR) in alkaline media, achieving a maximum NH 3 yield rate of 18.02 mg h −1 cm −2 and a Faradaic efficiency of 91.2% at a potential of −0.4 V vs. reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE) in 1 M KOH with 0.1 M KNO 2 electrolyte, surpassing benchmark catalysts via synergistic AuPt@Cu electronic modulation that enhances the binding energy between the active sites and the nitrogenous intermediates. In situ Raman spectroscopy and ex situ Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy were employed to identify reaction intermediates, corroborating the findings of density functional theory calculations. Assembly of a Zn–NO 2 battery using an AuPt@Cu-4 cathode and Zn anode delivered an open-circuit voltage of 1.29V with a power density of 4.1 mW cm −2 at a current density of 10 mA cm −2 , and exhibited robust stability over 100 h. This study advances scalable electrocatalytic platforms for NO 2valorization, coupling pollutant remediation with sustainable NH 3 production and energy harvesting.