Electrocatalytic coupling of CO2 and N2 for urea synthesis

Direct electrocoupling of CO 2 and N 2 provides a promising carbon-neutral and sustainable strategy for urea synthesis. A plethora of materials are showing encouraging early developments for urea production with formation rate reaching about 6.8 mmol h −1 g −1 and Faradaic efficiency of 21%. This review summarizes recent progress in this area. Mechanistic understanding of C–N coupling to form urea is emphasized and evaluated. Motivating aspects for boosting electrocatalytic coreduction of CO 2 and N 2 to urea are highlighted. Development opportunities and challenges are discussed.