Plasma-electrocatalytic synthesis of urea from air and CO2.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 41044065.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1038/s41467-025-63923-z and PMC identifier 12494921.
- Licence recorded as CC BY-NC-ND.
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Abstract
Electrochemical C-N coupling of CO<sub>2</sub> with nitrogenous sources (e.g., N<sub>2</sub>, NO<sub>3</sub><sup>-</sup>) provides a promising method for urea production, whereas the current electrochemical methods are limited by low conversion efficiency or reliance on fossil fuel-derived NO<sub>3</sub><sup>-</sup> feedstock. Here, we develop a plasma-electrocatalytic route for urea synthesis from ambient air and CO<sub>2</sub>, which starts with plasma-assisted air activation to generate reactive NO<sub>x</sub><sup>-</sup> (92.1% NO<sub>2</sub><sup>-</sup>), followed by electrocatalytic co-reduction of CO<sub>2</sub> + NO<sub>x</sub><sup>-</sup> to urea. By using a single-atom Ru<sub>1</sub>/CuO<sub>x</sub> catalyst in double chamber membrane electrode assembly, we achieve a urea yield rate of 106.9 mmol h<sup>-1</sup> g<sub>cat</sub><sup>-1</sup> and a Faradaic efficiency of 86.7%. This plasma-electrocatalytic route demonstrates a paradigm-shifting strategy for revolutionizing urea synthesis, making a great leap toward decarbonized nitrogen economy.