Vapour-phase hydrothermal synthesis of Ni2P nanocrystallines on carbon fiber cloth for high-efficiency H2 production and simultaneous urea decomposition

•Vapour-phase hydrothermal method was utilized to synthesize nanocrystalline Ni2P on CFC.•Ni2P/CFC exhibited bifunctional electrocatalytic activities of UOR and HER.•Ni2P/CFC constructed two-electrode system was established for simultaneous H2 production and urea decomposition.

Ni2P nanocrystallines grown on carbon fiber cloth (Ni2P/CFC) was successfully achieved by a facile vapour-phase hydrothermal method. The as-prepared Ni2P/CFC, as an electrocatalyst, exhibited superior electrocatalytic activities toward urea oxidation reaction (UOR) with a potential of 1.42 V (vs. RHE) delivering a current density of 10 mA cm−2 and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) with overpotentials of 90 and 155 mV at current densities of 10 and 100 mA cm−2 in alkaline media. On this basis, a Ni2P/CFC constructed two-electrode system for high-efficiency H2 production and simultaneous urea decomposition was therefore established using commercial urea as reaction source. Besides, such two-electrode system as proof of concept study was also evaluated using human urine as urea source for highly efficient H2 generation with a rate of 0.35 μM min−1 at an applied potential of 1.48 V, delivering a current density of 10 mA cm−2.

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