Stable Cuδ+ sites derived from analogous rectifying interface in AgCu biphasic aerogels for efﬁcient urea electrosynthesis at low potential

Sep 29, 2026

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Urea electrosynthesis via CO2 and NO3− coupling offers a sustainable route but is limited by complex catalytic mechanisms and competing reactions that reduce C–N coupling efficiency. The study builds analogous rectifying interfaces in AgCu biphasic aerogels using electronegativity differences to generate stable Cuδ+ active sites. These sites promote simultaneous *NOH adsorption and *CO coverage, enhancing C–N coupling dynamics supported by operando measurements and theoretical calculations. Ag67Cu33 achieves a urea yield of 54.8 mmol h−1 gcat−1 and Faradaic efficiency of 36.6% at −0.52 V vs RHE, with further two-electrode durability over 60 h.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages15

Reading Time38 min

AccessFree to download

Research Background

Urea production challenges and need for electrocatalysis

Catalyst Design and Mechanism

Analogous rectifying interfaces in AgCu biphasic aerogels

Cuδ+ active sites and adsorption coverage effects

Performance Results

Urea yield and Faradaic efficiency under low potential

Two-electrode demonstration and durability

Article [https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-65857-y](https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-65857-y) Stable Cuδ+ sites derived from analogous rectifying interface in AgCu biphasic aerogels for efﬁcient urea electrosynthesis at low potential Received: 29 November 2024 | Accepted: 24 October 2025 | | --- | | | | Check for updates | Pingyi Feng1,4, Shao Wang1,4, Zechuan Dai1,4, Yanxu Chen1, Bocheng Zhang1, Mingyu Cheng1, Buqi Ke1, Jing Xia 2 , Genqiang Zhang 1 & Fuqiang Huang 3 Urea electrosynthesis through CO2 and NO3- coupling presents a promising alternative to energy-intensive industrial processes. However, intricate catalytic mechanisms and competitive reactions impede achieving high-efﬁciency C-N coupling. Herein, we constructed analogous rectifying interfaces in AgCu biphasic aerogels, by leveraging electronegativity difference to derive stable Cuδ+ active sites, which simultaneously promoted *NOH adsorption and *CO coverage, thereby improving C-N coupling dynamics, conﬁrmed by both operando technique and theoretical calculations. Speciﬁcally, notable urea yield (54.8 mmol h-1 gcat.−1) with Faradaic efﬁciency (FE, 36.6%) at a low potential (−0.52 V vs. RHE) was achieved using Ag67Cu33 in a ﬂow-cell. As a proof-of-concept demonstration for practicability, Ag67Cu33 exhibited bifunctional electrosynthesis for urea (FE: 56.07%, yield: 104.6 mmol h-1 gcat.−1) and HCOOH (FE: over 90%) at 40 mA cm-2 in two-electrode system, with durability over 60 h. This work provides an indicative rationale to construct active sites for C-N coupling, facilitating the development of urea electrosynthesis. In recent years, global research on greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction strategies has intensiﬁed, with a focus on ﬁnding innovative solutions for sustainable development. Approximately 12% of anthropogenic GHG emissions are attributed to agricultural production, particularly the synthesis of nitrogen fertilizers such as urea1–4. Traditionally, urea synthesis is dominated by the Bosch-Meiser process, which operates under extreme conditions (å 180 °C, ~150bar) and accounts for 2% of global energy consumption and 1.44% of CO2 emissions5,6. Therefore, it is crucial to explore sustainable methods for urea synthesis. With the rapid advancement of renewable energy technologies, electrocatalytic coupling of excess CO2 and harmful NO3- driven by renewable energy presents a promising alternative3,7,8. In 1995, Furuya et al. achieved asigniﬁcant breakthrough by synthesizing urea for the ﬁrst time using a Cu-supported gas diffusion electrode with CO2 and NO2- or NO3-9. Subsequently, Wang et al. successfully combined NO3- and CO2 into urea via a Vo-CeO2-750 catalyst, reaching a high yield of 943.6 mmol g-1 h-1 10. Recently, Liao et al. developed a PcNi-Fe-O catalyst and effectively obtained 0.164 g of high-purity urea in a scaled-up ﬂow cell, achieving urea yield of 2.03 g h-1 gcat-1 11. He et al. employed pulsed electrolysis on the synthesized Fe-TPP/CNTs catalyst, reaching a peak 1Hefei National Research Center for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, CAS Key Laboratory of Materials for Energy Conversion Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, P. R. China. 2Key Laboratory of Photochemical Conversion and Optoelectronic Materials, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, P. R. China. 3State Key Lab of Metal Matrix Composites, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Dongchuan Road 800, Shanghai 200240, China. 4These authors contributed equally: Pingyi Feng, Shao Wang, and Zechuan Dai. [e-mail:](e-mail: xiajing@mail.ipc.ac.cn)[ xiajing@mail.ipc.ac.cn](e-mail: xiajing@mail.ipc.ac.cn); [gqzhangmse@ustc.edu.cn](gqzhangmse@ustc.edu.cn); [huangfq@sjtu.edu.cn](huangfq@sjtu.edu.cn) FE of 27.70%, rendering urea electrosynthesis more cost-effective and energy-efﬁcient12. Despite considerable e

FAQs

Why is CO2 and NO3− coupling urea electrosynthesis challenging?

Intricate catalytic mechanisms and competitive reactions interfere with achieving high-efficiency C–N coupling.

How were stable Cuδ+ active sites constructed in the AgCu biphasic aerogels?

Analogous rectifying interfaces were engineered by leveraging electronegativity differences to derive stable Cuδ+ active sites.

What performance was achieved and at what potential?

Using Ag67Cu33 in a flow cell, the work reports a urea yield of 54.8 mmol h−1 gcat−1 and Faradaic efficiency of 36.6% at −0.52 V vs RHE.

Sep 29, 2026

Upload by Damian