Strategies for designing more efficient electrocatalysts towards the urea oxidation reaction

The urea oxidation reaction (UOR) is a pivotal half-reaction for urea-assisted water splitting to produce hydrogen, direct urea fuel cells and electrochemical degradation of urea-containing wastewater. However, the intrinsic sluggish kinetics of the UOR hampers the real application of these urea-based technologies. Therefore, highly efficient electrocatalysts are required to promote the urea oxidation process. During the past several years, great achievements in both catalyst design and mechanism understanding have been made in this research area. This perspective starts with the discussion of the reaction mechanism of the UOR. Afterwards, we propose and discuss five typical strategies for designing efficient UOR electrocatalysts including promoting the *COO desorption step, developing electrocatalysts with high oxidation states, facilitating the generation of catalytically active species, constructing dual active sites, and heterojunction catalysts via featured examples. Lastly, we conclude this perspective by outlining the remaining challenges, and exploring the future opportunities in this emerging field.

Automated summary

The urea oxidation reaction (UOR) is a crucial half-reaction for urea-assisted water splitting, direct urea fuel cells, and electrochemical degradation of urea-containing wastewater. This perspective provides insights into the reaction mechanism of UOR, and discusses strategies for designing efficient UOR electrocatalysts. The remaining challenges and future opportunities in this emerging field are also outlined.