Coupling regulation for achieving high-efficient UOR performance of amorphous Ni-P catalyst by pulse electrodeposition

The pursuit of highly efficient catalysts for the urea oxidation reaction (UOR) represents a pivotal and sustainable approach to the generation of renewable energy. Structural regulation has emerged as a particularly effective approach to achieving superior catalytic performance. However, in the realm of amorphous catalysts with disordered structure and remarkable catalytic potential, identifying effective regulation strategies to enhance the UOR performance remains a formidable yet critical challenge. In this study, we present a coupling modulation strategy based on the growth mode and pulse current, utilizing pulse electrodeposition (PED) to achieve amorphous Ni-P catalysts with high-efficiency UOR performance. Amorphous Ni/Ni-P catalyst engineered by Stranski-Krastanov (SK) growth mode along with low pulse current exhibits unprecedented catalytic activity for UOR, as evidenced by its overpotential of 1.35 V at 10 mA/cm² and 1.37 V @ 100 mA/cm². We reveal the regulation-relationship among the growth modes, catalyst structure and UOR performance by PED. We also show that low-pulse current can efficiently enhance UOR performance by elevating energy states in amorphous Ni-P, and further demonstrate the broad applicability across diverse growth modes. Therefore, by integrating film growth modes with a pulse current, we have established a novel method for significantly enhancing catalytic performance, setting the stage for the advancement of superior catalysts.