2023/02/14 by Minghang Jiang, Mengfei Zhu, Mengjun Wang +5 · 3 citations
Chemical Engineering · Energy · #Ammonia Synthesis and Nitrogen Reduction #CO2 Reduction Techniques and Catalysts #Advanced Photocatalysis Techniques
paper · doi:10.1021/acsnano.2c11046
openalex publication_date 2023/02/14 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/31
The electrochemical coreduction of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) and nitrogenous species (such as NO 3 –, NO 2 –, N 2, and NO) for urea synthesis under ambient conditions provides a promising solution to realize carbon/nitrogen neutrality and mitigate environmental pollution. Although an increasing number of studies have made some breakthroughs in electrochemical urea synthesis, the unsatisfactory Faradaic efficiency, low urea yield rate, and ambiguous C–N coupling reaction mechanisms remain the major obstacles to its large-scale applications. In this review, we present the recent progress on electrochemical urea synthesis based on CO 2 and nitrogenous species in aqueous solutions under ambient conditions, providing useful guidance and discussion on the rational design of metal nanocatalyst, the understanding of the C–N coupling reaction mechanism, and existing challenges and prospects for electrochemical urea synthesis. We hope that this review can stimulate more insights and inspiration toward the development of electrocatalytic urea synthesis technology.