This invention relates to a process for the electrochemical synthesis of green urea, and the urea produced thereby. The electrochemical synthesis of urea involves the reduction of dual purging gases N.sub.2 and CO.sub.2 via six electron transfer process (N.sub.2+CO.sub.2+6H.sup.++6e.sup.−.fwdarw.CO (NH.sub.2).sub.2+H.sub.2O) & reduction of the NO.sub.3.sup.− ions and CO.sub.2 via sixteen electron transfer process (2NO.sub.3.sup.−+CO.sub.2+18H.sup.++16e.sup.−.fwdarw.CO(NH.sub.2).sub.2+7H.sub.2O) under ambient condition using copper phthalocyanine (CuPc) catalyst. The binding of two intermediate products during dual reduction simultaneously, leads to the production of urea in water medium under ambient conditions.

The invention provides a method of reducing dinitrogen to produce at least one haloamine compound, the method comprising: contacting a cathode comprising a dinitrogen-activating electrocatalytic composition with an electrolyte; providing dinitrogen, a reducible source of halogen and a source of hydrogen for reaction at the cathode; and applying a potential at the cathode sufficient to reduce the dinitrogen on the dinitrogen-activating electrocatalytic composition in the presence of the reducible source of halogen and the source of hydrogen, thereby producing at least one haloamine compound.

The present invention relates to a method for producing a catalyst for an electrochemical cell, wherein: a graphited porous carbon material is treated with an oxygen-containing plasma or an aqueous medium containing an oxidising agent, at least one noble metal compound is deposited on the treated carbon material, the impregnated carbon material is brought into contact with a reducing agent such that the noble metal compound is reduced to a metallic noble metal.

The present invention relates to a method for producing a catalyst for an electrochemical cell, wherein: a graphited porous carbon material is treated with an oxygen-containing plasma or an aqueous medium containing an oxidising agent, at least one noble metal compound is deposited on the treated carbon material, the impregnated carbon material is brought into contact with a reducing agent such that the noble metal compound is reduced to a metallic noble metal.

There is provided a catalyst layer for a fuel cell that can inhibit reduction in water electrolysis function. The catalyst layer for a fuel cell according to this disclosure comprises carbon supports on which Pt particles are supported, and Ir oxide particles, wherein the ratio of the mean primary particle size of the Ir oxide particles with respect to the mean primary particle size of the Pt particles is 20 or greater. The mean primary particle size of the Pt particles may be 20.0 nm or smaller and the mean primary particle size of the Ir oxide particles may be 100.0 nm to 500.0 nm.

Herein discussed is an electrochemical reactor comprising an ionically conducting membrane, wherein the reactor performs the water gas shift reactions electrochemically without electricity input, wherein electrochemical water gas shift reactions involve the exchange of an ion through the membrane and include forward water gas shift reactions, or reverse water gas shift reactions, or both. Also discussed herein is a reactor comprising: a bi-functional layer and a mixed conducting membrane; wherein the bi-functional layer and the mixed conducting membrane are in contact with each other, and wherein the bi-functional layer catalyzes reverse-water-gas-shift (RWGS) reaction and functions as an anode in an electrochemical reaction.

Proposed is an iridium alloy catalyst having reversible catalytic activity for an oxygen evolution reaction (OER), a hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), and a hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR) by including an iridium alloy including iridium (Ir) and nickel (Ni). The iridium alloy catalyst according to the present disclosure is rapidly converted to an iridium alloy catalyst in an oxide form and an iridium alloy catalyst in a metallic form according to applied voltage by controlling its crystallinity. Thus, even in case an oxide layer is formed after the OER, the oxidation layer disappears during the HER and HOR and the properties of an iridium metal catalyst remain, thereby maintaining HER/HOR performance.

An electrochemical electrode according to the present invention may prevent agglomeration and desorption of a catalyst even when a catalyst in a particle form is used, because a protective layer containing hydrogel is used, such that stability may be secured, thereby implementing an electrode having a long duration.

An electrochemical electrode according to the present invention may prevent agglomeration and desorption of a catalyst even when a catalyst in a particle form is used, because a protective layer containing hydrogel is used, such that stability may be secured, thereby implementing an electrode having a long duration.

A supported catalyst for reducing CO.sub.2 is provided. The supported catalyst includes a plurality of support particles; and a plurality of catalyst particles disposed over each support particle. Characteristically, the catalyst particles has formula PdH.sub.x/C wherein x is 0.3 to 0.7. Methods for making the support particles and using the support particles to reduce carbon dioxide are also provided.