Carbon Dioxide and Nitrate Electrocatalytic C-N Coupling for Sustainable Production of Urea

The electrocatalytic co-reduction of carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrate (NO3−) for urea synthesis under environmental conditions offers a promising solution for achieving sustainable environmental management. Besides, electrochemical urea synthesis is an alternative approach for cleaner production of urea compared to the conventional urea industrial production process with high energy consumption and pollution. However, lower urea yield, lower selectivity and unclear C-N coupling reaction mechanism are still the main challenges to its large-scale application. In this review, we focus on accurate and reliable detection methods and evaluation criteria for urea products, recent progress on CO2 and NO3− electrocatalytic co-reduction synthesis of urea, rational design of high-performance electrocatalysts, and C-N coupling reaction mechanism of urea electrochemical synthesis under atmospheric conditions. This review could contribute to the development of electrochemical urea synthesis via effective remediation of CO2 and NO3−.