Efficient urea electrosynthesis via dual-atom catalysts enabled by strong p-d orbital coupling

Résumé fourni par la source

• Highly effective d-p dual atom electrocatalysts for the selective co-reduction of CO and NO gas pollutants into urea. • CuAl@N 6 -G and CuIn@N 6 -G possess ultralow limiting potentials of −0.13 and −0.18 V. • HER and undesired CO/NO reduction can be suppressed. • The unique d-p orbital interaction within these catalysts plays a key role. Electrocatalytic urea synthesis via C-N coupling offers a sustainable alternative to conventional methods, addressing energy and environmental challenges. However, the design of efficient catalysts involves diverse reactions and intermediates due to the multistep nature of the process. Double atom catalysts (DACs), with their enhanced co-adsorption sites, facilitate the activation of multiple species during electrocatalytic reactions. Using density functional theory (DFT) calculations, we for the first time investigate CuM@N 6 -G (M = B, Al, Ga, In) catalysts— d -block Cu and p -block atoms embedded in N-doped graphene—as stable DACs for urea synthesis. These catalysts possess strong d - p orbital coupling that enable effective co-adsorption and activation of NO and CO, supporting consecutive C-N coupling and proton-electron transfer steps, which predict high urea production performance. Notably, their low limiting potentials indicate excellent catalytic activity, while the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and protonation of *NO and *CO can be suppressed to ensure high urea selectivity. This study provides a theoretical framework for rational design of novel DACs in urea electrocatalysis to guide future experiments.

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