Controlled Fabrication of Hierarchically Structured MnO2@NiCo-LDH Nanoarrays for Efficient Electrocatalytic Urea Oxidization

Abstract

Urea, a prevalent component found in wastewater, shows great promise as a substrate for energy-efficient hydrogen production by electrolysis. However, the slow kinetics of the anodic urea oxidation reaction (UOR) significantly hamper the overall reaction rate. This study presents the design and controlled fabrication of hierarchically structured nanomaterials as potential catalysts for UOR. The prepared MnO2@NiCo-LDH hybrid catalyst demonstrates remarkable improvements in reaction kinetics, benefiting from synergistic enhancements in charge transfer and efficient mass transport facilitated by its unique hierarchical architecture. Notably, the catalyst exhibits an exceptionally low onset potential of 1.228 V and requires only 1.326 V to achieve an impressive current density of 100 mA cm−2, representing a state-of-the-art performance in UORs. These findings highlight the tremendous potential of this innovative material designing strategy to drive advancements in electrocatalytic processes.