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Electrochemically and Bioelectrochemically Induced Ammonium Recovery

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Nano-confinement engineering boosts C-N coupling for urea electrosynthesis.

Jiaxin Du^1,2, Yunshuo Wu^1,2, Siyu Fang^1,2

¹College of Environmental and Resources Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.

Nature Communications

|December 26, 2025

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Researchers developed a nano-confined copper-ruthenium catalyst in carbon spheres for efficient urea synthesis from CO2 and nitrate. This breakthrough enhances reaction pathways and stability, offering a sustainable chemical production method.

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Area of Science:

Electrochemistry
Materials Science
Sustainable Chemistry

Background:

Electrochemical co-reduction of carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrate offers a sustainable pathway for urea synthesis.
Current methods face challenges with kinetic limitations and poor intermediate interactions, leading to low urea yields.

Purpose of the Study:

To engineer a nano-confined bimetallic catalyst for enhanced urea synthesis.
To overcome kinetic barriers and improve intermediate interactions in CO2 and nitrate electro-reduction.

Main Methods:

Fabrication of a copper-ruthenium (CuRu) bimetallic catalyst confined within mesoporous carbon hollow spheres (MCHS).
Electrochemical testing at high current densities (250 mA cm-2) with long-term stability assessment (125 hours).
In situ spectroscopy and computational modeling to analyze reaction mechanisms and the effect of nano-confinement.

Main Results:

Achieved a high urea yield of 12.51 g h-1 gcat-1 with 125-hour stability.
Nano-confinement shifted the C-N coupling pathway from *COOH-*NH2 to the kinetically favored *OCO-*NO intermediates.
Optimized pore-size engineering (4-11 nm) improved reactant transport and intermediate retention, enhancing selectivity.

Conclusions:

Nano-confinement is a versatile strategy for controlling multi-step electrocatalytic processes.
The engineered CuRu/MCHS catalyst demonstrates a promising route for sustainable urea production.
This approach offers significant potential for advancing sustainable chemical synthesis through precise catalyst design.