Ceria–Graphene Oxide Nanocomposite for Electro-oxidation of Urea: An Experimental and Theoretical Investigation

This study explores the potential of ceria–graphene oxide (CeO2-GO) nanocomposites as efficient electrocatalysts for urea electro-oxidation (UOR). This work combines experimental and theoretical investigations and characterization techniques confirm the successful formation of the CeO2 embedded on graphene oxide sheets. UOR activity was found to be dependent on both OH– and urea concentrations. The optimal UOR performance was achieved in a 0.1 M urea and 1.0 M KOH solution, as evidenced by the low Tafel slope of 60 mV/dec and high turnover frequency (TOF) of 1.690 s–1. DFT calculations revealed that the CeO2-GO nanocomposite exhibited strong urea adsorption due to its favorable bond lengths (Ce–O: 2.58 Å, O–H: 1.77 Å) and high adsorption energy (−1.05 eV). These findings revealed that the CeO2-GO nanocomposites are promising as efficient and durable electrocatalysts for urea conversion to valuable products like nitrogen and hydrogen gas, with potential applications in clean energy generation and ammonia synthesis.