Selective urea electrosynthesis from CO2 and NO enabled on low-coordinated Ru1–O3 motifs

Abstract

Electrochemical urea synthesis from CO₂ and NO (EUCN) represents an efficient and sustainable approach to convert harmful CO₂/NO emissions into high-value urea under ambient conditions. Herein, we design Ru single atoms on amorphous ZnO (Ru₁/a-ZnO) as an efficient EUCN catalyst, delivering a high urea yield rate of 54.9 mmol h⁻¹ g⁻¹ and faradaic efficiency of 38.1% in an MEA electrolyzer. Combined experimental and theoretical results reveal that the enhanced EUCN activity of Ru₁/a-ZnO originates from the critical role of low-coordinated Ru₁–O₃ motifs in preferentially activating NO, lowering the energy barrier of C–N coupling (*NO + *CO₂) and protonation while inhibiting the competitive reactions.