Electrocatalytic nitrate reduction reaction (NO₃RR) offers a promising route for sustainable ammonia synthesis and wastewater treatment, yet designing highly active and selective catalysts remains challenging. Herein, we construct an N-bridge anchored asymmetric AgCu dual-atomic catalyst (DAC) on Ti₃C₂T_x MXene (AgCu DAC/Ti₃C₂T_x) for efficient nitrate electroreduction. The unique N-bridged structure stabilizes the asymmetric AgCu dual sites, enabling synergistic adsorption and activation of nitrate intermediates. In situ X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) spectroscopy confirms the dynamic evolution of the Ag–Cu coordination under reaction conditions, revealing their maintained heteronuclear pairing and electronic coupling during NO₃RR. As a result, the AgCu DAC/Ti₃C₂T_x catalyst achieves a high NH₃ Faradaic efficiency of ~ 97.1% with an exceptional yield rate of ~ 3.1 mg·h⁻¹·cm⁻² at −0.5 V vs. reversible hydrogen electrode (RHE), surpassing most reported dual-atom catalysts. This work provides insights into the design of asymmetric dual-atomic sites for multi-step catalytic reactions.

The electrocatalytic C-N coupling reaction as a green synthesis approach for C-N bond synthesis via electrochemical processes with catalytic assistance. However, inefficient reactant adsorption onto the catalyst surface, competing side reactions, and the complexity and diversity of reaction pathways hinder its widespread application. Atomically dispersed catalysts (ADCs), as an emerging class of catalytic materials, possess precisely defined active sites, high catalytic activity, and enhanced selectivity, thereby enabling efficient electrocatalytic C-N coupling to address these challenges. This review discusses current reaction pathways for converting small molecules (CO₂ as the carbon source, N₂, NO₂^–, NO₃^– as the nitrogen source) into high-value organic nitrogen compounds (urea, amides, oximes, and amino acids) utilizing ADCs. It specifically focuses on the critical steps within electrocatalytic C-N coupling facilitated by these catalysts, encompassing reactant adsorption, transformation and selective hydrogenation of C-/N-intermediates, and the C-N coupling reaction itself. Based on these key steps, design principles for ADCs are proposed. Finally, the synthesis strategies for ADCs—vacancy engineering, confinement strategies, and alloying—are examined, alongside the mechanisms by which they enhance catalytic activity and selectivity.

Efficient photocatalysis and electrocatalysis in energy conversion have been important strategies to alleviate energy crises and environmental issues. In recent years, with the rapid development of emerging catalysts, significant progress has been made in photocatalysis for converting solar energy into chemical energy and electrocatalysis for converting electrical energy into chemical energy. However, their selectivity and efficiency of the products are poor. Rare earth (RE) can achieve atomic level fine regulation of catalysts and play an crucial role in optimizing catalyst performance by their unique electronic and orbital structures. However, there is a lack of systematic review on the atomic interface regulation mechanism of RE and their role in energy conversion processes. Single atom catalysts (SACs) provide clear active sites and 100% atomic utilization, which is conducive to exploring the regulatory mechanisms of RE. Therefore, this review mainly takes atomic level doped RE as an example to review and discuss the atomic interface regulation role of RE elements in energy conversion. Firstly, a brief introduction was given to the synthesis strategies that can effectively exert the atomic interface regulation effect of RE, with a focus on the atomic interface regulation mechanism of RE. Meanwhile, the regulatory mechanisms of RE atoms have been systematically summarized in various energy conversion applications. Finally, the challenges faced by RE in energy conversion, as well as future research directions and prospects, were pointed out.