Nanosheets of CuCo2O4 As a High-Performance Electrocatalyst in Urea Oxidation
Nanosheets of CuCo2O4 As a High-Performance Electrocatalyst in Urea Oxidation
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DOI：
10.3390/app9040793
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发表时间：
2019-02-02
影响因子：
2.7
通讯作者：
Gupta, Ram K.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Zequine, Camila;Wang, Fangzhou;Gupta, Ram K.
尿素氧化反应（UOR）是解决世界能源危机的一种可能途径。燃料电池已用于UOR中，以产生与水裂解相比潜力较低的氢气，从而降低能源生产成本。尿素大量存在于农业废物以及工业和人类废水中。除了产生氢气外，该反应还提供了一种消除尿素的途径，尿素对环境和人们的健康是一种危害。在这项研究中，纳米片的CuCo 2 O 4生长在泡沫镍合成作为尿素氧化产生氢气作为一种绿色燃料的电催化剂。合成的电催化剂，其特征在于使用X-射线衍射，扫描电子显微镜，和X-射线光电子能谱。采用电化学方法研究了CuCo_2O_4在碱性溶液中对尿素氧化的电活性。在泡沫镍上生长的CuCo 2 O 4纳米片需要在含有0.33 M尿素的1 M KOH中1.36 V的电势，以提供10 mA/cm 2的电流密度。的CuCo 2 O 4电极是电化学稳定超过15小时的连续测量。CuCo 2 O 4电极对析氢反应的高催化活性使其成为一种双功能催化剂和一种有前途的制氢电活性材料。双电极电解槽需要1.45 V的电位，比无尿素电解槽的电位低260 mV。我们的研究表明，CuCo 2 O 4电极可以作为一个有效的UOR催化剂的燃料电池，以产生低成本的氢是一个有前途的材料。
The urea oxidation reaction (UOR) is a possible solution to solve the world's energy crisis. Fuel cells have been used in the UOR to generate hydrogen with a lower potential compared to water splitting, decreasing the costs of energy production. Urea is abundantly present in agricultural waste and in industrial and human wastewater. Besides generating hydrogen, this reaction provides a pathway to eliminate urea, which is a hazard in the environment and to people's health. In this study, nanosheets of CuCo2O4 grown on nickel foam were synthesized as an electrocatalyst for urea oxidation to generate hydrogen as a green fuel. The synthesized electrocatalyst was characterized using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The electroactivity of CuCo2O4 towards the oxidation of urea in alkaline solution was evaluated using electrochemical measurements. Nanosheets of CuCo2O4 grown on nickel foam required the potential of 1.36 V in 1 M KOH with 0.33 M urea to deliver a current density of 10 mA/cm(2). The CuCo2O4 electrode was electrochemically stable for over 15 h of continuous measurements. The high catalytic activities for the hydrogen evolution reaction make the CuCo2O4 electrode a bifunctional catalyst and a promising electroactive material for hydrogen production. The two-electrode electrolyzer demanded a potential of 1.45 V, which was 260 mV less than that for the urea-free counterpart. Our study suggests that the CuCo2O4 electrode can be a promising material as an efficient UOR catalyst for fuel cells to generate hydrogen at a low cost.