Synthesis and Electronic Structure Modulation of 2D MBenes for Conversion of Nitrates Into Green Ammonia

Water pollution and fossil fuel combustion result in significant NO 3 − release, which is dangerous to the environment and ultimately to human health. The electrocatalytic reduction reaction of nitrate (NO 3 RR) into green industrial fertilizer (NH 3 ) is an emerging strategy. The design and synthesis strategy of the electrocatalyst are essential for the electrocatalytic reduction of nitrate. Among various 2D materials, MBenes are a newly emerging class for electrocatalysis. It has strong potential for NO 3 RR due to its ability to tune electron density during chemical reactions, enabled by vacant boron orbitals and its semi‐metallic character. To understand the NO 3 RR phenomenon, electrochemical principles and mechanism‐related discussions of NO 3 RR are correlated with the structures and electronic features of MBenes and illustrated with various examples of MBenes for NO 3 RR to NH 3 . Moreover, to facilitate NO 3 RR, the ammonia quantification methods of interested researchers are reviewed.