Sustainable and High‐Rate Electrosynthesis of Nitrogen Fertilizer
Qinglan Zhao, Xinxin Lu, Yinuo Wang, Shangqian Zhu, Yushen Liu, Fei Xiao, Shi Xue Dou, Wei‐Hong Lai, Minhua Shao
Abstract
Abstract The conventional industrial production of nitrogen‐containing fertilizers, such as urea and ammonia, relies heavily on energy‐intensive processes, accounting for approximately 3 % of global annual CO 2 emissions. Herein, we report a sustainable electrocatalytic approach that realizes direct and selective synthesis of urea and ammonia from co‐reduction of CO 2 and nitrates under ambient conditions. With the assistance of a copper (Cu)‐based salphen organic catalyst, outstanding urea (3.64 mg h −1 mg cat −1 ) and ammonia (9.73 mg h −1 mg cat −1 ) yield rates are achieved, in addition to a remarkable Faradaic efficiency of 57.9±3 % for the former. This work proposes an appealing sustainable route to converting greenhouse gas and waste nitrates by renewable energies into value‐added fertilizers.