Spatiotemporal Matching of Intermediates Governs Selective Electrochemical C–N Coupling

Wang, Y., Yan, S., Frielingsdorf, L., Li, X., Kornienko, N.
Journal of the American Chemical Society

Abstract

Developing electrochemical C–N coupling as a sustainable alternative to conventional thermochemical routes offers a promising pathway for converting environmentally relevant small molecules into nitrogen-containing, high-value chemicals. However, the efficiency of C–N bond formation is often limited by the lack of synchronization between carbon- and nitrogen-derived intermediates. Here, we introduce and validate spatiotemporal intermediate matching as a catalytic concept governing efficient C–N coupling. Guided by this concept, we design a functionally complementary, molecularly defined Co–Zn dual-site catalyst, featuring a subnanometer (∼1.1 nm) intersite distance to facilitate intermediate encounters and tailorable site ratios to balance their generation kinetics. In the CO2/NO3– coreduction system, the catalyst achieves near-theoretical stoichiometric coupling, leading to a 5-fold enhancement in the Faradaic efficiency for methylamine. Importantly, this concept can be extended to other C–N coupling systems, opening sustainable electrochemical routes toward higher-value amines such as dimethylamine and N-methylaniline. Our findings establish spatiotemporal intermediate matching as a guiding principle for C–N bond formation and offer a generalizable strategy for rational catalyst design toward sustainable chemical production.