Techno‐Economically Viable Glycine Electrosynthesis From CO 2 ‐Derived Oxalic Acid Via Enhanced Oxime Adsorption on Atomically Dispersed Copper
Chunqi Yang, Hao Sun, Ziyan Yang, Xulin Nong, Zongying Li, Shijia Li, Ziyun Wang, Mingyue Lin, Hiroya Ishikawa, Tamao Ishida, Toru Murayama, Jingyao Liu, Yuhang Li, Chunzhong LiABSTRACT
Electrochemical C─N coupling offers a promising strategy for producing value‐added chemicals, particularly glycine. The N‐pathway (glyoxylic acid and nitrate) for glycine electrosynthesis is hindered by multiple electron–transfer processes, which may increase energy consumption. Alternatively, the C‐pathway (oxalic acid and hydroxylamine) offers the potential for achieving a higher FE (Faradaic efficiency) at industrially relevant current densities, but requires optimized adsorption of the key oxime intermediate. Here, we fabricate a SnO 2 catalyst incorporating atomically dispersed Cu (Cu‐SnO 2 ) for selective glycine synthesis, reaching a maximum glycine FE of 73.1% and a maximum partial current density of 106.3 mA cm −2 . The Cu‐SnO 2 catalyst maintains catalytic performance over 24 h. In a flow cell, the Cu‐SnO 2 catalyst achieves a maximum FE Glycine of 58.1% and exhibits sustained catalytic performance over 72 h. Furthermore, we construct a cascade electrocatalytic system for glycine synthesis using CO 2 ‐derived oxalic acid. A prospective technoeconomic analysis indicates that the proposed C‐pathway has the potential to achieve economic viability under specific operating and economic conditions. Control experiments, in situ ATR‐SEIRAS and theoretical calculations suggest that SnO 2 facilitates the conversion of oxalic acid to oxime, while atomically dispersed Cu sites may promote oxime adsorption and its subsequent hydrogenation.