CuPt Alloy Enabling the Tandem Catalysis for Reduction of HCOOH and NO3− to Urea at High Current Density

• DOI: 10.1002/adma.202419738
• Publication Date: 2025-02-21T12:10:21Z
• Authors: Yaodong Yu; Jiani Han; Haoran Li; Hongyue Diao; Yue Shi; Guangzhe Jin; Hongdong Li; G. A. Bagliuk; Lei Wang; Jianping Lai
• Keywords: Tandem

The formation of urea by electrocatalytic reduction C1-reactants and NO3 - is an attractive way to store renewable electricity, close the carbon cycle, eliminate nitrate contaminants from wastewater. Involving insufficient supply C1 reactants multiple electron transfers makes reaction difficult achieve high Faraday efficiency yield at current density. Here, a synthesis approach presented via reductive coupling between liquid HCOOH on copper foam (CF) loaded Cu4Pt catalyst with optimized ratios. A 40.08 mg h-1 cm-2 achieved FE up 58.1% density -502.3 mA cm-2, superior productivity previously reported catalysts. No degradation observed over 120-h continuous operation such rate. highly efficient activity Cu4Pt/CF can be attributed synergetic effect Pt Cu sites tandem catalysis, in which doped enrich reactants, promote intermolecular dehydration, form adsorb large amounts *CO key intermediates. generate quantities intermediate *NH2. adsorbed intermediates *NH2 are basis for subsequent thermodynamic spontaneous C─N coupling.