Synergistic engineering of P, N-codoped carbon-confined bimetallic cobalt/nickel phosphides with tailored electronic structures for boosting urea electro-oxidation

Bimetallic phosphides exhibit superior electrocatalytic activities and synergistic effects that make them ideal electrocatalysts for the urea oxidation reaction (UOR). Herein, P, N-codoped carbon-encapsulated cobalt/nickel phosphides derived from NiCo-MOF-74 (NiCoP@PNC) and anchored on P-doped carbonized wood fiber (PCWF) for UOR were prepared through synchronous carbonization and phosphorization. By benefiting from the synergistic effect of structural and electronic modulation, NiCoP@PNC/PCWF exhibits excellent UOR electrocatalytic performance under alkaline conditions, achieving a current density of 50 mA cm−2 with a potential of only 1.34 V (vs reversible hydrogen electrode, RHE) and continuous operation for more than 72 h. In addition, for the overall urea splitting, an electrolyzer using UOR replaced OER, which required only 1.50 V to achieve a current density of 50 mA cm−2 with excellent stability, 230 mV less than that required for the HER||OER system. In-depth theoretical analysis further proves that the strong synergistic effect between Co and Ni optimizes electronic structures, yielding excellent UOR properties. The synergistic strategy of structural and electrical modulation provides broad prospects for the design and synthesis of excellent UOR electrocatalysts for energy-saving hydrogen production by using renewable resources.