Modified Diacetylmonoxime‐Thiosemicarbazide Detection Protocol for Accurate Quantification of Urea

Abstract

AbstractRenewable photo‐/electrocatalytic coreduction of CO2 and nitrate to urea is a promising method for high‐value utilization of CO2. However, because of the low yields of the urea synthesis by photo‐/electrocatalysis process, the accurate quantification of low concentration urea is challenging. The traditional diacetylmonoxime‐thiosemicarbazide (DAMO‐TSC) method for urea detection has a high limit of quantification and accuracy, but it is easily affected by NO2− in the solution, which limits its application scope. Thus, the DAMO‐TSC method urgently requires a more rigorous design to eliminate the effects of NO2− and accurately quantify urea in nitrate systems. Herein, a modified DAMO‐TSC method is reported, which consumes NO2− in solution through a nitrogen release reaction; hence, the remaining products do not affect the accuracy of urea detection. The results of detecting urea solutions with different NO2− concentrations (within 30 ppm) show that the improved method can effectively control the error of urea detection within 3%.