Recent advances in electrochemical synthesis of urea via C–N coupling

Abstract

Urea is widely used as fertilizer and is a key substance supporting global food production. However, the traditional industrial synthesis of urea faces the challenges with high energy consumption and serious environmental problems. With the increasing global demand for environmental protection and sustainable development, it is much necessary to develop novel and clean methods for the synthesis of urea. Electrocatalysis provides an efficient and renewable synthesis route that can directly produce urea at room temperature and atmospheric pressure by the coupling of CO2 and nitrogenous molecules. In this review, we summarized the most recent advances in electrochemical synthesis of urea via CN coupling systematically, focusing on the coupling of CO2 and different nitrogen sources. And the associated coupling mechanism, catalysts optimization, and electrolyzer design are well discussed. Moreover, the challenges and future directions for electrocatalytic CN coupling are prospected. This review will provide timely and valuable guidance for others and attract more interests to promote the development of electrochemical synthesis of urea or other valuable chemicals containing CN bond.