Ni–Fe Dual‐Site Polymer Catalyst for High Performance and Stable Electrochemical Urea Synthesis from CO <sub>2</sub> and NO <sub>3</sub> <sup>−</sup>

The electrochemical synthesis of urea from nitrate (NO<sub>3</sub> <sup>-</sup>) and carbon dioxide (CO<sub>2</sub>) presents a sustainable alternative to conventional methods, mitigating pollution and reducing energy consumption. Herein, a rationally designed Ni-Fe bimetallic pyromellitic acid polymer catalyst (Ni-PMDA@Fe) is developed for efficient urea electrosynthesis. This metal-organic polymer provides structural robustness, abundant active sites, and a tunable coordination environment, optimizing C-N coupling kinetics. Ni-PMDA@Fe achieves a urea yield of 449.56 mg h<sup>-1</sup> g<sub>cat</sub> <sup>-1</sup> and a Faradaic efficiency (FE) of 41.06% at -0.5 V<sub>RHE</sub>, significantly surpassing monometallic controls (Ni-BDC, Ni-PMDA). Fe incorporation modulates the electronic structure of Ni, enhances charge transfer, and stabilizes key reaction intermediates, enabling synergistic NO<sub>3</sub> <sup>-</sup>/CO<sub>2</sub> coupling. Comprehensive characterization confirms homogeneous Fe doping and a dual-metal-site configuration. Unlike single-atom or monometallic systems, the Ni-Fe dual-site architecture optimally tunes the adsorption kinetics of critical intermediates. The catalyst maintains a FE exceeding 30% over a 30 h stability test, demonstrating robust operational stability. Furthermore, techno-economic analysis (TEA) indicates competitive production costs when powered by renewable energy, highlighting scalability potential. This word demonstrates a practical pathway for sustainable urea synthesis by converting pollutants (NO<sub>3</sub> <sup>-</sup>/CO<sub>2</sub>) into value-added product, thereby contributing to decarbonizing fertilizer production and mitigating nitrogen pollution.

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Publication Details

Journal
ChemSusChem
Published
2026-03-12
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1002/cssc.202502676
Primary Topic
Ammonia Synthesis and Nitrogen Reduction
Type
article
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article

Ni–Fe Dual‐Site Polymer Catalyst for High Performance and Stable Electrochemical Urea Synthesis from CO 2 and NO 3 −

Zhenglong Li, Q. J. Zhang, Zhenghao Lyu, Fengxia Wei et al.
ChemSusChem
Ammonia Synthesis and Nitrogen Reduction
article

Ni–Fe Dual‐Site Polymer Catalyst for High Performance and Stable Electrochemical Urea Synthesis from CO 2 and NO 3 −

Zhenglong Li, Q. J. Zhang, Zhenghao Lyu, Fengxia Wei, H. Y. Pan, Hui Li, Tianyi Ma, Daming Feng
article en

Abstract

The electrochemical synthesis of urea from nitrate (NO<sub>3</sub> <sup>-</sup>) and carbon dioxide (CO<sub>2</sub>) presents a sustainable alternative to conventional methods, mitigating pollution and reducing energy consumption. Herein, a rationally designed Ni-Fe bimetallic pyromellitic acid polymer catalyst (Ni-PMDA@Fe) is developed for efficient urea electrosynthesis. This metal-organic polymer provides structural robustness, abundant active sites, and a tunable coordination environment, optimizing C-N coupling kinetics. Ni-PMDA@Fe achieves a urea yield of 449.56 mg h<sup>-1</sup> g<sub>cat</sub> <sup>-1</sup> and a Faradaic efficiency (FE) of 41.06% at -0.5 V<sub>RHE</sub>, significantly surpassing monometallic controls (Ni-BDC, Ni-PMDA). Fe incorporation modulates the electronic structure of Ni, enhances charge transfer, and stabilizes key reaction intermediates, enabling synergistic NO<sub>3</sub> <sup>-</sup>/CO<sub>2</sub> coupling. Comprehensive characterization confirms homogeneous Fe doping and a dual-metal-site configuration. Unlike single-atom or monometallic systems, the Ni-Fe dual-site architecture optimally tunes the adsorption kinetics of critical intermediates. The catalyst maintains a FE exceeding 30% over a 30 h stability test, demonstrating robust operational stability. Furthermore, techno-economic analysis (TEA) indicates competitive production costs when powered by renewable energy, highlighting scalability potential. This word demonstrates a practical pathway for sustainable urea synthesis by converting pollutants (NO<sub>3</sub> <sup>-</sup>/CO<sub>2</sub>) into value-added product, thereby contributing to decarbonizing fertilizer production and mitigating nitrogen pollution.

ChemSusChemVol. 19(6)
Liaoning University (CN), The University of Sydney (AU), ARC Centre of Excellence in Future Low-Energy Electronics Technologies (AU), Nanomaterials Research (United States) (US), Xi'an Technological University (CN), Zhejiang University of Technology (CN)
Affordable and clean energy
Openalex Percentile: Top 26%
Ammonia Synthesis and Nitrogen Reduction
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