Promoting the Intermediates Hydrogenation for Urea Electrosynthesis Over an "Active Hydrogen Pump" Catalyst
Chu Zhang1, Quan Zhou2, Zeyu Li1
1State Key Laboratory of Space Power-Sources, MIIT Key Laboratory of Critical Materials Technology for New Energy Conversion and Storage, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150001, China.
Angewandte Chemie (International Ed. in English)
|May 12, 2025
Summary
Researchers developed copper molybdate nanorods to boost sustainable urea production. This "active hydrogen pump" catalyst enhances intermediate formation for efficient carbon-nitrogen coupling, improving urea synthesis.
Area of Science:
- Electrochemistry
- Materials Science
- Sustainable Chemistry
Background:
- Electrocatalytic conversion of carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrate (NO3-) presents a sustainable route for urea production.
- Limited active hydrogen (*H) availability impedes the formation of crucial carbon- and nitrogen-containing intermediates, hindering selective C-N coupling.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop an electrocatalyst that enhances active hydrogen (*H) supply for efficient urea synthesis.
- To investigate the role of active hydrogen in facilitating the formation of key intermediates for selective C-N coupling.
Main Methods:
- Synthesis of copper molybdate (Cu3Mo2O9) nanorods as an electrocatalyst.
- Electrocatalytic testing in a CO2-saturated 0.1 M KNO3 solution using a flow cell configuration.
- Analysis of urea yield rate and Faradaic efficiency (FE) for urea production.
Main Results:
- Cu3Mo2O9 nanorods functioned as an "active hydrogen pump" by regulating water dissociation and hydrogen adsorption.
- A steady *H supply was ensured, boosting the generation of *CO and *NH2 intermediates.
- The Cu3Mo2O9 electrocatalyst achieved a maximum urea yield rate of 177 mmol h-1 g-1 with a 40% urea-producing FE.
- Performance surpassed most previously reported electrocatalysts for this reaction.
Conclusions:
- Active hydrogen (*H) plays a critical role in expediting the selective C-N coupling for urea production.
- The developed Cu3Mo2O9 nanorod catalyst demonstrates significant potential for sustainable urea synthesis.
- This work provides guidance for designing advanced catalysts for the synthesis of chemicals requiring rapid intermediate hydrogenation.
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