Electrocatalytic C─N Coupling in Aqueous Solutions for High‐Value Product Synthesis
Organic nitrogen-containing compounds, such as urea, amines, amides, and amino acids, play a crucial role in global biogeochemical cycles and industrial systems. Electrocatalytic C─N coupling, enabling reactions under mild conditions (room temperature/pressure) and utilizing a range of feedstocks (CO<sub>2</sub>, CO, N<sub>2</sub>, NO<sub>3</sub> <sup>-</sup>, and NH<sub>3</sub>, etc.), has emerged as a sustainable alternative for the synthesis of these chemicals. Recent advancements in diversifying product scopes via C─N coupling methodologies have significantly enhanced reaction versatility and conversion efficiency. These developments enable novel reaction pathways while addressing critical challenges, such as slow kinetics (e.g., high bond dissociation energies in N≡N or C═O bonds) and competing reactions. This review comprehensively examines the progress in electrochemical C─N coupling, with a focus on reaction mechanisms across diverse systems and the advanced catalysts driving these transformations. Furthermore, we summarize the integrated electrolytic cell design to bridge laboratory-scale breakthroughs with sustainable large-scale production. By overcoming existing limitations, electrocatalytic synthesis holds the potential to transform chemical manufacturing while mitigating environmental impacts.
Authors
- Yunpeng Zuo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3912-9704)
- Dongxue Yu
- Xin Wang
- Xiaoran Zhang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5385-8113)
Institutions
- City University of Hong Kong (HK)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Angewandte Chemie International Edition
- Published
- 2026-02-17
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.202518370
- Citations
- 1
- Primary Topic
- Ammonia Synthesis and Nitrogen Reduction
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 12.85