Theoretical study on the synthesis of glycine via electrocatalytic reduction over tandem catalysts based on two-dimensional carbon-rich conjugated metalloporphyrin frameworks†

Abstract

Glycine is one of the simplest naturally occurring amino acids and is widely involved in a variety of biological processes, where it plays important biological functions. However, the conventional synthesis of glycine requires complex procedures or toxic raw materials. In this study, we innovatively designed a strategy for the electrocatalytic synthesis of glycine, utilizing CO₂ from air and NO from exhaust gases as carbon and nitrogen sources to provide sustainable carbon and nitrogen cycling pathways. The method directly converted CO₂ and NO into glycine through a coupled electrochemical conversion. In the study, B-doped catalysts were designed to promote the C–N coupling reaction and to construct polymetallic sites that enhanced the reduction rate and limited the potentials of CO₂ and NO, facilitating the electrosynthesis of glycine. The limiting potential for the preparation of glycine from CO₂ and NO in the total synthesis process was −0.20 V, indicating high catalytic activity. This paper presents a powerful method for synthesizing glycine from exhaust gases and air, which was thoroughly investigated and provides a theoretical basis for the experimental study of glycine synthesis.