Exfoliated nickel hydroxide nanosheets for urea electrolysis

Two-dimensional nickel hydroxide nanosheets were synthesized by exfoliating surfactant intercalated layered nickel hydroxides and developed as electrocatalysts for urea electro-oxidation. The electro-oxidation of urea on Ni(OH)2 nanosheet modified electrodes shows a decrease of 100 mV in overpotential and an enhancement in current density, which reaches ca.154 mA cm− 2 mg− 1, by a factor of ca. 170 compared to bulk Ni(OH)2 powder modified electrodes. The Ni(OH)2 nanosheets have promising applications in urea-rich wastewater remediation, hydrogen production, electrochemical sensors, and fuel cells due to their ability to promote the urea electrolysis reaction.

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► Two-dimensional Ni(OH)2 nanosheets were synthesized and developed as electrocatalysts for urea electro-oxidation.
► A decrease of 100 mV in overpotential for urea electro-oxidation was observed.
► An enhancement in current density by a factor of ca. 170 compared to bulk Ni(OH)2 powder electrodes was achieved.