Plasma-electrocatalytic synthesis of urea from air and CO2

Zeyi Sun, Rui Niu, Shiyao Shang, Yali Guo, Hu Zhang, Xijun Liu (), Libang Feng () and Ke Chu ()
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Zeyi Sun: Lanzhou Jiaotong University
Rui Niu: Lanzhou Jiaotong University
Shiyao Shang: Lanzhou Jiaotong University
Yali Guo: Lanzhou Jiaotong University
Hu Zhang: Guangxi University
Xijun Liu: University of Science and Technology Beijing
Libang Feng: Lanzhou Jiaotong University
Ke Chu: Lanzhou Jiaotong University

Nature Communications, 2025, vol. 16, issue 1, 1-10

Abstract: Abstract Electrochemical C-N coupling of CO2 with nitrogenous sources (e.g., N2, NO3−) provides a promising method for urea production, whereas the current electrochemical methods are limited by low conversion efficiency or reliance on fossil fuel-derived NO3− feedstock. Here, we develop a plasma-electrocatalytic route for urea synthesis from ambient air and CO2, which starts with plasma-assisted air activation to generate reactive NOx− (92.1% NO2−), followed by electrocatalytic co-reduction of CO2 + NOx− to urea. By using a single-atom Ru1/CuOx catalyst in double chamber membrane electrode assembly, we achieve a urea yield rate of 106.9 mmol h−1 gcat−1 and a Faradaic efficiency of 86.7%. This plasma-electrocatalytic route demonstrates a paradigm-shifting strategy for revolutionizing urea synthesis, making a great leap toward decarbonized nitrogen economy.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-63923-z

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