Electrochemical reduction and oxidation of nitrogen through low-current electrolysis

Abstract

Dissolved nitrogen is reduced to ammonia at a platinum cathode enclosed in a cellophane membrane and is oxidised to nitric acid at a similarly enclosed anode at very low current density (~1 mA/cm²), the electrolyte being distilled water. This is attributed to highly active reducing and oxidising species formed near the cathode and anode respectively under such low-current low-concentration condition of electrolysis.