Ceria–Graphene Oxide Nanocomposite for Electro-oxidation of Urea: An Experimental and Theoretical Investigation

This study explores the potential of ceria–graphene oxide (CeO₂-GO) nanocomposites as efficient electrocatalysts for urea electro-oxidation (UOR). This work combines experimental and theoretical investigations and characterization techniques confirm the successful formation of the CeO₂ embedded on graphene oxide sheets. UOR activity was found to be dependent on both OH^– and urea concentrations. The optimal UOR performance was achieved in a 0.1 M urea and 1.0 M KOH solution, as evidenced by the low Tafel slope of 60 mV/dec and high turnover frequency (TOF) of 1.690 s^–1. DFT calculations revealed that the CeO₂-GO nanocomposite exhibited strong urea adsorption due to its favorable bond lengths (Ce–O: 2.58 Å, O–H: 1.77 Å) and high adsorption energy (−1.05 eV). These findings revealed that the CeO₂-GO nanocomposites are promising as efficient and durable electrocatalysts for urea conversion to valuable products like nitrogen and hydrogen gas, with potential applications in clean energy generation and ammonia synthesis.