This research demonstrates enhanced urea electrooxidation in urine, suggesting substantial energy savings for hydrogen production.
Sustainable urea and urine electrooxidation are highly attractive for coupling energy conversion with environmental remediation. Herein, we report a powder catalyst of Ni 2 P/NiSe 2 nanoparticles embedded in N‐doped carbon nanofibers (Ni 2 P/NiSe 2 /NCNF), which exhibits markedly enhanced activity and stability compared with single‐component catalysts. Interfacial electron transfer from Ni 2 P to NiSe 2 establishes a built‐in electric field, leading to local bonding rearrangement and selective adsorption of urea intermediates, thereby accelerating the rate‐determining step. As a result, Ni 2 P/NiSe 2 /NCNF delivers a nearly five‐fold increase in current density and two orders of magnitude higher electron transfer and diffusion coefficient than Ni/NCNF. In situ Raman spectroscopy and post‐reaction analyses reveal surface reconstruction into high‐valence Ni species, with the heterostructure stabilizing the active surface. Furthermore, a urea/water co‐electrolysis device demonstrates substantial energy savings and stable hydrogen production. A current density of 98.83 mA cm − 2 is achieved in synthetic urine, with a long‐term stability of 48 h, showing its great potential in practical urine wastewater electrolysis. This study highlights the promise of Ni 2 P/NiSe 2 heterostructures for practical urea oxidation and advances the design of efficient bifunctional electrocatalysts for sustainable hydrogen generation.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Li et al. (2026) studied this question.
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: