Collaborative Research: Steering C-N Coupling in Co-reduction of CO2 and Nitrate for Urea Synthesis

Professor Kelsey Stoerzinger of the University of Minnesota and Professor Liney Arnadottir of Oregon State University are studying the transformation of harmful waste into urea, an important fertilizer. This project will investigate how to drive this reaction with electricity, which can enable distributed (rural), on demand manufacturing of urea for fertilizers, strategic for domestic advanced manufacturing and agriculture security. In addition to the scientific and economic impact, this proposal involves workforce development through the training of two graduate students in a collaborative environment, the involvement of high school and undergraduate students in research, and college-level curriculum development. Professor Kelsey Stoerzinger of the University of Minnesota and Professor Liney Arnadottir of Oregon State University are studying the transformation of nitrate and carbon dioxide into urea, an important fertilizer. The project will investigate the dynamics of competing reaction pathways and C-N bond formation using a combination of experimental kinetic analysis, operando spectroscopy, density functional theory calculations, and microkinetic modeling. Together, these will provide a fundamental understanding of the potential- and coverage-dependent adsorption strength of reaction intermediates as a function of the catalyst’s electronic structure and determine a favorable electrochemical potential range (or profile) for C-N coupling. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.