Structural Design of Nickel Hydroxide for Efficient Urea Electrooxidation

Abstract

Urea stands as a ubiquitous environmental contaminant. However, not only does urea oxidation reaction technology facilitate energy conversion, but it also significantly contributes to treating wastewater rich in urea. Furthermore, urea electrolysis has a significantly lower theoretical potential (0.37 V) compared to water electrolysis (1.23 V). As an electrochemical reaction, the catalytic efficacy of urea oxidation is largely contingent upon the catalyst employed. Among the plethora of urea oxidation electrocatalysts, nickel-based compounds emerge as the preeminent transition metal due to their cost-effectiveness and heightened activity in urea oxidation. Ni(OH)2 is endowed with manifold advantages, including structural versatility, facile synthesis, and stability in alkaline environments. This review delineates the recent advancements in Ni(OH)2 catalysts for electrocatalytic urea oxidation reaction, encapsulating pivotal research findings in morphology, dopant incorporation, defect engineering, and heterogeneous architectures. Additionally, we have proposed personal insights into the challenges encountered in the research on nickel hydroxide for urea oxidation, aiming to promote efficient urea conversion and facilitate its practical applications.