Cascade Formamide Electrosynthesis from Air and Flue Gas

Electrocatalytic C–N coupling offers an appealing approach for sustainable formamide synthesis, yet it suffers from unsatisfactory activity and selectivity. Herein, we propose a cascade strategy for efficient formamide electrosynthesis from plasma-derived NO x – and flue-gas-derived HCOOH, which involves plasma-assisted air-to-NO x – conversion, electrocatalytic reduction of flue gas to HCOOH, and electrocatalytic coreduction of plasma-derived NO x – and flue-gas-derived HCOOH to formamide. Impressively, by integrating cathodic formamide electrosynthesis with anodic hydroxymethylfurfural oxidation, we realize an outstanding formamide yield rate of 86.9 mmol g –1 h –1 and a Faradaic efficiency of 63.5%. A technoeconomic analysis further reveals the promising potential of our cascade strategy for green and energy-efficient formamide production at an industrial scale.