香港科技大学邵敏华团队报道了可持续发展和高效的氮肥电合成。相关研究成果发表在2023年6月23日出版的《德国应用化学》。

尿素和氨等含氮肥料的传统工业生产严重依赖能源密集型工艺，约占全球年二氧化碳排放量的3%。

该文中，研究人员报道了一种可持续的电催化方法，该方法在环境条件下通过CO₂和硝酸盐的共同还原实现尿素和氨的直接和选择性合成。在铜基salphen有机催化剂的辅助下，获得了前所未有的尿素（3.64 mg h^-1 mgcat^-1）和氨（9.73 mg h^-1 mg cat^-1）产率，此外前者的法拉第效率为57.9±3%。

该项工作提出了一条有吸引力的可持续路线，通过可再生能源将温室气体和废硝酸盐转化为增值肥料。

附：英文原文

Title: Sustainable and High-Rate Electrosynthesis of Nitrogen Fertilizer

Author: Qinglan Zhao, Xinxin Lu, Yinuo Wang, Shangqian Zhu, Yushen Liu, Fei Xiao, Shixue Dou, Weihong Lai, Minhua Shao

Issue&Volume: 2023-06-23

Abstract: The conventional industrial production of nitrogen-containing fertilizers, such as urea and ammonia, relies heavily on energy-intensive processes, accounting for approximately 3% of global annual CO2 emissions. Herein, we report a sustainable electrocatalytic approach that realizes direct and selective synthesis of urea and ammonia from co-reduction of CO2 and nitrates under ambient conditions. With the assistance of a copper (Cu)-based salphen organic catalyst, unprecedented urea (3.64 mg h-1 mgcat-1) and ammonia (9.73 mg h-1 mgcat-1) yield rates are achieved, in addition to a remarkable Faradaic efficiency of 57.9 ± 3% for the former. This work proposes an appealing sustainable route to converting greenhouse gas and waste nitrates by renewable energies into value-added fertilizers.

DOI: 10.1002/anie.202307123

Source: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/anie.202307123