Amorphous vanadium-doped cobalt oxyborate as an efficient electrocatalyst for urea-assisted H2 production from urine sewage

Abstract

The urea oxidation reaction (UOR) with low required oxidation potential is not only an energy-saving strategy for efficient hydrogen production but also offers an effective way to treat wastewater by decomposing urea. An amorphous cobalt oxyborate with optimum vanadium doping has been identified as an efficient electrocatalyst for UOR for the first time with great stability. The electrocatalyst requires only 1.37 V potential to achieve a current density of 20 mA cm⁻². Impressively, the developed electrocatalyst exhibited very active and long stability in alkaline raw bovine urine as extreme urine sewage media coupled with efficient hydrogen production at the cathode.