Efficient electrosynthesis of formamide from carbon monoxide and nitrite on a Ru-dispersed Cu nanocluster catalyst

Conversion into high-value-added organic nitrogen compounds through electrochemical C-N coupling reactions under ambient conditions is regarded as a sustainable development strategy to achieve carbon neutrality and high-value utilization of harmful substances. Herein, we report an electrochemical process for selective synthesis of high-valued formamide from carbon monoxide and nitrite with a Ru1Cu single-atom alloy under ambient conditions, which achieves a high formamide selectivity with Faradaic efficiency of 45.65 +/- 0.76% at -0.5V vs. RHE. In situ X-ray absorption spectroscopy, coupled with in situ Raman spectroscopy and density functional theory calculations results reveal that the adjacent Ru-Cu dual active sites can spontaneously couple *CO and *NH2 intermediates to realize a critical C-N coupling reaction, enabling high-performance electrosynthesis of formamide. This work offers insight into the high-value formamide electrocatalysis through coupling CO and NO2- under ambient conditions, paving the way for the synthesis of more-sustainable and high-value chemical products.

Automated summary

Conversion of organic nitrogen compounds into high-value-added products through electrochemical C-N coupling reactions under ambient conditions is a sustainable strategy for achieving carbon neutrality and high-value utilization of harmful substances. In this study, a Ru1Cu single-atom alloy was used to selectively synthesize formamide from carbon monoxide and nitrite, achieving high formamide selectivity with a Faradaic efficiency of 45.65 +/- 0.76% at -0.5V vs. RHE. The use of adjacent Ru-Cu dual active sites enables the spontaneous coupling of *CO and *NH2 intermediates, facilitating high-performance electrosynthesis of formamide. This work provides insights into the electrocatalysis of high-value formamide through the coupling of CO and NO2- under ambient conditions, leading to the synthesis of more sustainable and valuable chemical products.