Designed nickel–cobalt-based bimetallic oxide slender nanosheets for efficient urea electrocatalytic oxidation

Abstract

The efficient development of electrocatalysts is a critical necessity in constructing urea-splitting systems that enable the production of environmentally friendly and renewable fuels. Achieving this objective entails optimizing the composition and structure of the electrocatalytic materials. Here, a straightforward synthetic strategy has been employed for designing Ni–Co bimetallic oxide with slender nanosheets architecture. Specifically, Ni–Co layered double hydroxide nanosheets are synthesized through a hydrothermal treatment, followed by the conversion of these Ni–Co-based precursors into Ni–Co bimetallic oxide slender nanosheets using a calcination method. The density of states indicates that Ni–Co bimetallic oxide can greatly enhance the conductivity compared with a single NiO for the UOR. Moreover, owing to the synergistic effect of the compositions and the unique advantages offered by the nanosheet architecture, the resulting electrocatalyst demonstrates improved performance in terms of overall urea splitting. Specifically, the Ni–Co bimetallic oxide delivers a low overpotential of 79 mV at 10 mA cm−2 with a small Tafel slope of 45.1 mV dec−1 and exhibits long-term durability even after extensive testing.