Metal Ionic Liquid-Mediated Highly Dispersed Ru-Cu Bimetallic Nanomaterials for Electrocatalytic Urea Production

Traditional urea synthesis is energy-intensive and has a high carbon footprint, making the direct electrocatalytic synthesis from CO₂ and NO₃^- under mild conditions highly attractive. However, designing efficient bimetallic catalysts that promote C-N coupling while suppressing side reactions remains a key challenge. This study reports a metal ionic liquid-mediated pyrolysis strategy for constructing carbon nanofibers embedded with highly dispersed Ru-Cu bimetallic nanoparticles (Ru/Cu@CF). A self-synthesized salicylic acid-imidazole metal ionic liquid served as a trifunctional precursor, enabling 10 nm level dispersion and stable anchoring of the metals within the carbon matrix after programmed carbonization. The resulting Ru/Cu@CF features a 3D porous fibrous structure, high surface area, abundant defects, and amorphous/highly dispersed Ru-Cu species. For electrocatalytic co-reduction of CO₂ and NO₃^- to urea, Ru/Cu@CF achieved a high urea yield of 57.8 mmol g^-1 h^-1 and a Faradaic efficiency of 25.4% at a mild potential of -0.5 V vs. RHE, along with good stability. Comparative studies confirmed the crucial role of Ru-Cu synergy in enhancing activity and selectivity.