DES-assisted electrodeposition and characterization of an electrocatalyst for enhanced urea oxidation in green hydrogen production

An important task of modern materials science is the development of highly efficient electrocatalysts for green hydrogen production. Specifically, this involves the urea oxidation reaction (UOR), which is an energetically advantageous and attractive alternative to the anodic oxygen evolution reaction, coupled with hydrogen evolution at the cathode. In this work, we present for the first time the use of systems based on a new generation of environmentally friendly room-temperature ionic liquids – deep eutectic solvents (DESs) – for the electrodeposition of electrocatalysts for UOR. The electrochemical performance of electrodeposited nanocomposite Ni–CeO2 electrocatalysts was evaluated in alkaline solution, showing an appreciable reduction in the anodic potential of UOR compared to oxygen evolution, reaching up to approximately 0.2 V at a current density of 0.1 mA cm–2. The obtained results are significant for the development of electrochemical synthesis methods for electrocatalysts used in green renewable energy.