Selective acetonitrile electroreduction to ethylamine enabled by suppressing the competing chemical pathways

Acetonitrile, an abundant byproduct of the Sohio process for acrylonitrile synthesis, presents an attractive feedstock for electrocatalytic transformation into value-added chemicals. Here, we report the selective electrochemical reduction of acetonitrile to ethylamine—a key intermediate in pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals—using oxide-derived copper nanowires (OD-CuNWs). We identified acetamide—a previously overlooked product of acetonitrile electroreduction—as a by-product that forms via a thermocatalytic route. This competing pathway was found to depend on operational parameters, including temperature, pH, and the nature of the electrolyte. Specifically, an alkaline environment (pH > 10) and the temperature rise favours acetamide pathway. Leveraging mechanistic insights to guide reaction condition optimization, we achieved 80% Faradaic efficiency toward ethylamine at a high current density of 410 mA cm −2 by suppressing competing acetamide and hydrogen formation pathways. The OD-CuNW catalyst exhibits high stability over multiple cycles, maintaining both activity and selectivity. These findings provide mechanistic insight and practical guidance for optimizing acetonitrile electroreduction toward sustainable ethylamine synthesis.