Enhanced Urea Oxidation Electrocatalytic Activity by Synergistic Cobalt and Nickel Mixed Oxides

Exploring reactive and selective Ni-based electrocatalysts for the urea oxidation reaction (UOR) is crucial for developing urea-related energy conversion technologies. Herein, synergistic interactions in Ni/Co mixed oxides/hydroxides enhanced the UOR with low onset potential, fast reaction kinetics,...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The journal of physical chemistry letters 2024-01, Vol.15 (1), p.81-89
Main Authors: Zhou, Tongxin, Jagadeesan, Sathya Narayanan, Zhang, Lihua, Deskins, N. Aaron, Teng, Xiaowei
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
cobalt oxides
electrocatalysis
electrooxidation
Enhanced Urea Oxidation Electrocatalytic Activity
MATERIALS SCIENCE
nickel oxides
Physical Insights into Chemistry, Catalysis, and Interfaces
Synergistic Cobalt and Nickel Mixed Oxides
urea
urea oxidation reaction
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Summary:Exploring reactive and selective Ni-based electrocatalysts for the urea oxidation reaction (UOR) is crucial for developing urea-related energy conversion technologies. Herein, synergistic interactions in Ni/Co mixed oxides/hydroxides enhanced the UOR with low onset potential, fast reaction kinetics, and good selectivity against the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Our electrochemical measurements and theoretical calculations signified the collaborative interaction of Ni/Co mixed oxide/hydroxide heterostructures to enhance UOR activity. Our results showed that Ni3+ species, formed at high anodic potential, produced a high anodic current primarily from unwanted OER. Instead, the Ni/Co heterostructures with dominant Ni2+ and Co3+ species remained stable at low anodic potential and exhibited anodic current exclusively attributed to UOR. This work highlights the importance of tuning valence charges for designing high-performance and selective UOR electrocatalysts to benefit the environmental remediation of urea runoff and enable urea electrolysis for hydrogen production by replacing conventional OER with UOR at the anode.
ISSN:1948-7185
1948-7185
DOI:10.1021/acs.jpclett.3c03257