Bimetallic Copper–Indium Co-Doped Titanium Dioxide Towards Electrosynthesis of Urea from Carbon Dioxide and Nitrate

• Published in: C
• Main Authors: Youcai Meng, Tianran Wei, Zhiwei Wang, Caiyun Wang, Junyang Ding, Yang Luo, Xijun Liu
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2025-06-01
• Subjects: bimetallic doping; C-N coupling; titanium dioxide; urea electrosynthesis; catalyst design
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2311-5629/11/3/44

Electrocatalytic urea synthesis offers great potential for sustainable strategies through CO₂ and NO₃⁻ reduction reactions. However, the development of high-performance catalysts is often hampered by the complexity of synthetic methodologies and the unresolved nature of C-N coupling pathways. In this study, we present a copper–indium co-doped titanium dioxide (CuIn-TiO₂) catalyst that exhibits remarkable efficacy in enhancing the synergistic reduction of CO₂ and NO₃⁻ to produce urea. The bimetallic CuIn site functions as the primary active site for the C-N coupling reaction, achieving a urea yield rate of 411.8 μg h⁻¹ mg_cat⁻¹ with a Faradaic efficiency of 6.7% at −0.8 V versus reversible hydrogen electrode (vs. RHE). A body of experimental and theoretical research has demonstrated that the nanoscale particles enhance the density of active sites and improve the feasibility of reactions on the surface of TiO₂. The co-doping of Cu and In has been shown to significantly enhance electronic conductivity, increase the adsorption affinity for *CO₂ and *NO₃⁻, and promote the C-N coupling process. The CuIn-TiO₂ catalyst has been demonstrated to effectively promote the reduction of NO₃⁻ and CO₂, as well as accelerate the C-N coupling reaction. This effect is a result of a synergistic interaction among the catalyst’s components.