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C24H18N4O4, monoclinic, P21/c (no. 14), a = 16.5930(5) Å, b = 5.7298(2) Å, c = 20.8714(6) Å, β = 99.8620(10)°, V = 1955.02(11) Å3, Z = 4, Rgt(F) = 0.0415, wRref(F2) = 0.1115, T = 193 K.

The electrochemical coupling of C and N has sparked considerable research attention, heralded as a capable method to curb carbon and nitrogen emissions while concurrently storing surplus renewable electricity in valuable chemical compounds such as urea, amides, and amines. Electrocatalytic urea synthesis via a C–N coupling reaction (CNCR) comprises the electroreduction of CO2 alongside the coreduction of various inorganic nitrogen sources (NO3−, NO2−, N2, and NO). However, the main hurdles for this electrochemical C–N coupling are the inert nature of the involved molecules and the prevalence of competing side reactions. This review comprehensively examines recent advancements in electrocatalytic C–N coupling, emphasizing the various mechanistic pathways involved in urea production, including the CO2 reduction and NO3 reduction reaction. Additionally, electrochemical key performance parameters and future advancement directions for electrocatalytic urea production are discussed. The electrochemical CNCR accomplishes effective resource use and delivers direction and reference for molecular coupling reactions. The insights gleaned from these observations may illuminate the development of effective catalysts in forthcoming research and expand the potential applications in green urea production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study details the strategic development of Co‐doped CuO nanostructures via sophisticated and expedited pulsed laser ablation in liquids (PLAL) technique. Subsequently, these structures are employed as potent electrocatalysts for the anodic methanol oxidation reaction (MOR), offering an alternative to the sluggish oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Electrochemical assessments indicate that the Co–CuO catalyst exhibits exceptional MOR activity, requiring a reduced potential of 1.42 V at 10 mA cm–2 compared to that of pure CuO catalyst (1.57 V at 10 mA cm–2). Impressively, the Co–CuO catalyst achieved a nearly 180 mV potential reduction in MOR compared to its OER performance (1.60 V at 10 mA cm−2). Furthermore, when pairing Co–CuO(+)ǀǀPt/C(−) in methanol electrolysis, the cell voltage required is only 1.51 V at 10 mA cm−2, maintaining remarkable stability over 12 h. This represents a substantial voltage reduction of ≈160 mV relative to conventional water electrolysis (1.67 V at 10 mA cm−2). Additionally, both in situ/operando Raman spectroscopy studies and theoretical calculations have confirmed that Co‐doping plays a crucial role in enhancing the activity of the Co–CuO catalyst. This research introduces a novel synthetic approach for fabricating high‐efficiency electrocatalysts for large‐scale hydrogen production while co‐synthesizing value‐added formic acid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water electrolysis is one of the most satisfactory technologies for the generation of clean hydrogen energy by splitting water molecules without any harmful byproducts. However, its widespread application is severely restricted due to the paucity of suitable electrocatalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Herein, we rationally designed iridium-doped NiFe-layered double hydroxide (NiFeIr-LDH) nanosheets via a novel and facile pulsed laser irradiation strategy. Remarkably, the NiFeIr-LDH nanosheets exhibited superior oxygen evolution reaction (OER) performance, exhibiting a lower overpotential (246 mV at 10 mA cm−2) compared to both NiFe-LDH (345 mV) and benchmark IrO2 (327 mV) in a 1 M KOH electrolyte. Furthermore, NiFeIr-LDH nanosheets showed outstanding catalytic stability for 12 h. Besides, in situ/operando Raman spectroscopy and theoretical studies revealed the effective modulation of the electronic structure of NiFe-LDH after Ir doping, leading to an improved performance in the OER. Most impressively, an alkaline water electrolyzer with NiFeIr-LDH(+)∥Pt/C(−) needed only a minimum cell voltage of 1.53 V to supply 10 mA cm−2 compared to that of an IrO2(+)∥Pt/C(−) electrolyzer (1.62 V at 10 mA cm−2). This work provides new insights into the development of greatly efficient and durable OER electrocatalysts for industrial applications in alkaline water electrolyzers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here, furfural oxidation was performed to replace the kinetically sluggish O2 evolution reaction (OER). Pt‐Co3O4 nanospheres were developed via pulsed laser ablation in liquid (PLAL) in a single step for the paired electrocatalysis of an H2 evolution reaction (HER) and furfural oxidation reaction (FOR). The FOR afforded a high furfural conversion (44.2%) with a major product of 2‐furoic acid after a 2‐h electrolysis at 1.55 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode in a 1.0‐M KOH/50‐mM furfural electrolyte. The Pt‐Co3O4 electrode exhibited a small overpotential of 290 mV at 10 mA cm−2. As an anode and cathode in an electrolyzer system, the Pt‐Co3O4 electrocatalyst required only a small applied cell voltage of ∼1.83 V to deliver 10 mA cm−2, compared with that of the pure water electrolyzer (OER∥HER, ∼1.99 V). This study simultaneously realized the integrated production of energy‐saving H2 fuel at the cathode and 2‐furoic acid at the anode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]