2024-01-17 ウースター工科大学(WPI)
◆尿素は低コストな窒素農業肥料であり、人体の代謝産物でもありますが、農業排水や市町村の排水からの尿素は有害な影響を及ぼします。同時に、尿素は水素の貯蔵媒体としての潜在的な可能性があり、尿素電解を使用して水素を効率的に生成できる可能性があります。
◆WPIの研究チームは、この新しい材料により、尿素の選択的な酸化が可能となり、水中の尿素を効果的に取り除くと同時に、水素の製造にも寄与できる可能性があると報告しています。
＜関連情報＞
- https://www.wpi.edu/news/announcements/efficiently-moving-urea-out-polluted-water-coming-reality-wpi-researchers-unlock-secret-upcycling
- https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.jpclett.3c03257
コバルトとニッケルの相乗混合酸化物により尿素酸化電極触媒活性が向上 Enhanced Urea Oxidation Electrocatalytic Activity by Synergistic Cobalt and Nickel Mixed Oxides
Tongxin Zhou, Sathya Narayanan Jagadeesan, Lihua Zhang, N. Aaron Deskins, and Xiaowei Teng
The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters Published:December 22, 2023
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpclett.3c03257
Abstract
Exploring reactive and selective Ni-based electrocatalysts for the urea oxidation reaction (UOR) is crucial for developing urea-related energy conversion technologies. Herein, synergistic interactions in Ni/Co mixed oxides/hydroxides enhanced the UOR with low onset potential, fast reaction kinetics, and good selectivity against the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). Our electrochemical measurements and theoretical calculations signified the collaborative interaction of Ni/Co mixed oxide/hydroxide heterostructures to enhance UOR activity. Our results showed that Ni3+ species, formed at high anodic potential, produced a high anodic current primarily from unwanted OER. Instead, the Ni/Co heterostructures with dominant Ni2+ and Co3+ species remained stable at low anodic potential and exhibited anodic current exclusively attributed to UOR. This work highlights the importance of tuning valence charges for designing high-performance and selective UOR electrocatalysts to benefit the environmental remediation of urea runoff and enable urea electrolysis for hydrogen production by replacing conventional OER with UOR at the anode.
