Scientists at Worcester Polytechnic Institute in the USA have developed a material that allows removing urea from water and converting it into hydrogen gas. The results of the study are published in the Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters.
The new work solves the problem of the lack of inexpensive and highly efficient electrocatalysts that selectively oxidise urea instead of water. The chemists found that unique electronic structures formed from nickel and cobalt atoms are key to improving the selectivity of urea oxidation.
Computer modelling showed that in a homogeneous mixture of nickel and cobalt oxides and hydroxides, there is a redistribution of electrons from Ni 2+ to Co 3+ and a shift of valence electrons towards higher energies. This explains why Ni/Co catalysts bind better to urea molecules.
