Urea is an indispensable nitrogen-containing organic compound in modern human life. However, the current industrial synthesis of urea involves ammonia, which is produced through the Haber–Bosch process under harsh reaction conditions, causing huge energy consumption and heavy environmental pollution. Electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide (CO₂) and nitrogenous species (N₂, NO_x⁻ and NO) have achieved significant progress, offering a promising approach for the electrochemical C–N coupling to produce urea under ambient conditions. Urea synthesis driven by renewable electricity represents a suitable alternative to the traditional process, contributing to the goal of carbon neutrality and nitrogen cycles. However, challenges such as low yield rate, poor selectivity and unveiled reaction mechanisms still need to be addressed. This review provides a summary of the latest catalysts utilized in urea electrosynthesis, aiming to provide guidance and prospects for the development of high-performance catalysts.

中文翻译：

---

环境条件下二氧化碳和含氮物质电合成尿素中 C-N 偶联的催化剂

尿素是现代人类生活中不可缺少的含氮有机化合物。然而，目前尿素的工业合成涉及氨，其是通过哈伯-博世工艺在恶劣的反应条件下生产的，造成巨大的能源消耗和严重的环境污染。二氧化碳（CO ₂）和含氮物质（N ₂、NO _x ^-和NO）的电化学还原已取得重大进展，为电化学C-N耦合在环境条件下生产尿素提供了一种有前景的方法。由可再生电力驱动的尿素合成是传统工艺的合适替代方案，有助于实现碳中和和氮循环的目标。然而，仍需解决产率低、选择性差和反应机制未公开等挑战。本文对尿素电合成中最新使用的催化剂进行了综述，旨在为高性能催化剂的发展提供指导和展望。