{
  "abstract": "The selective electrochemical reduction of nitrate (NO3−) to ammonia (NH3) represents a promising route for sustainable NH3 production. However, achieving high NH3 selectivity remains challenging due to competing reactions. Additionally, many reported catalysts rely on noble metals and often require relatively elevated catalyst loadings to achieve high apparent activity, while most systems operate only at relatively low current densities. Herein, a fourteen-membered macrocyclic copper complex supported on Ketjenblack (Cu-14MR/KB) is reported as a cathode catalyst for the highly selective electrochemical reduction of NO3− to NH3. With a low Cu loading of 1.34 μmol cm−2, Cu-14MR/KB delivered a high Faraday efficiency for NH3 synthesis of up to 94.8% at a current density of −26.3 mA cm−2 and maintained high NH3 selectivity over a wide current density range from −26.3 to −150 mA cm−2. Notably, at −150 mA cm−2, Cu-14MR/KB achieved an NH3 yield rate of 604 μmol cm−2 h−1 with an NH3 Faraday efficiency of 86.4%. Furthermore, a more contracted Cu–N4 coordination environment was revealed in Cu-14MR than in CuPc, with a shorter Cu–N bond distance, suggesting relatively stronger Cu–N interactions. This work provides an efficient strategy for high-performance NO3− electroreduction using a low-loading and non-noblemetal catalyst.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University, Kyoto-daigaku Katsura, Nishikyo-ku, Kyoto 615−8510, Japan",
    "PRESTO, Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST, 4-1-8 Honcho, Kawaguchi, Saitama, Japan, 332-0012",
    "Graduate School of Science and Technology, Shizuoka University, 836 Ohya, Suruga-ku, Shizuoka, Japan, 422-8529",
    "Research Institute of Green Science and Technology, Shizuoka University, 836 Ohya, Suruga-ku, Shizuoka, Japan, 422-8529",
    "Academic Institute, Shizuoka University, 836, Ohya, Suruga-ku, Shizuoka, Japan, 422-8529",
    "Fukui Institute for Fundamental Chemistry, Kyoto University, Takano Nishibiraki-cho 34-4, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan, 606-8103"
  ],
  "article_type": null,
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 8,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Yuantao Yang"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Ryotaro Iwata"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1
      ],
      "name": "Shoji Iguchi"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2
      ],
      "name": "Ritsu Hibino"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2
      ],
      "name": "Koyata Nishiyama"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2,
        3,
        4
      ],
      "name": "Makoto Moriya"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Shimpei Naniwa"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        5
      ],
      "name": "Kentaro Teramura",
      "orcid": "0000-0003-2916-4597"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/cxbg64r4h7saw.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.26434/chemrxiv.15009889/v1",
  "fulltext_url": null,
  "id": "cxbg64r4h7saw",
  "issns": [],
  "landing_url": "https://chemrxiv.org/doi/full/10.26434/chemrxiv.15009889/v1",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "CC-BY-NC-ND",
  "licence_label": "CC BY-NC-ND",
  "licence_source": "journal",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "openalex",
      "1503|Ammonia Synthesis and Nitrogen Reduction"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7220468427",
  "pdf_url": "https://chemrxiv.org/doi/pdf/10.26434/chemrxiv.15009889/v1",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-10-05",
  "publisher": "American Chemical Society (ACS)",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/cxbg64r4h7saw.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:17:22Z",
      "native_id": "10.26434/chemrxiv.15009889",
      "source": "chemrxiv",
      "url": "https://chemrxiv.org/doi/full/10.26434/chemrxiv.15009889/v1"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "chemistry",
      "origin": "openalex:1503|Ammonia Synthesis and Nitrogen Reduction",
      "subfield": "catalysis"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Fourteen-Membered Macrocyclic Copper Complex for Highly Selective Electrochemical Nitrate Reduction to Ammonia",
  "title_text": "Fourteen-Membered Macrocyclic Copper Complex for Highly Selective Electrochemical Nitrate Reduction to Ammonia",
  "type": "preprint",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:17:22Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/cxbg64r4h7saw",
  "venue": "ChemRxiv",
  "versions": []
}