Highly Efficient Electrosynthesis\nof Glycine over\nan Atomically Dispersed Iron Catalyst

Abstract

Glycine\nis a nonessential amino acid that plays a vital\nrole in\nvarious biological activities. However, the conventional synthesis\nof glycine requires sophisticated procedures or toxic feedstocks.\nHerein, we report an electrochemical pathway for glycine synthesis\nvia the reductive coupling of oxalic acid and nitrate or nitrogen\noxides over atomically dispersed Fe–N–C catalysts. A\nglycine selectivity of 70.7% is achieved over Fe–N–C-700\nat −1.0 V versus RHE. Synergy between the FeN₃C\nstructure and pyrrolic nitrogen in Fe–N–C-700 facilitates\nthe reduction of oxalic acid to glyoxylic acid, which is crucial for\nproducing glyoxylic acid oxime and glycine, and the FeN₃C structure could reduce the energy barrier of *HOOCCH₂NH₂ intermediate formation thus accelerating the glyoxylic\nacid oxime conversion to glycine. This new synthesis approach for\nvalue-added chemicals using simple carbon and nitrogen sources could\nprovide sustainable routes for organonitrogen compound production.