Advancements in water electrolysis: enhancing hydrogen and oxygen production efficiency through electrocatalyst design and urea oxidation

In light of growing energy shortages and environmental challenges, hydrogen energy has emerged as a promising renewable energy alternative to fossil fuels. Among various production methods, water electrolysis (WE) is notable for generating large-scale, high-purity hydrogen without pollution. However, conventional WE faces challenges such as high overpotentials, leading to inefficient energy use and increased costs, thus necessitating further improvements. Incorporating highly efficient electrocatalysts has proven to enhance hydrogen production by increasing current density at similar thermodynamic potentials. Additionally, the introduction of small organic oxidation molecules like urea has been shown to effectively reduce overpotentials and improve electrochemical performance, thereby enhancing overall WE efficiency. This review first elucidates the fundamental principles and key concepts of WE, and then highlights recent advancements in electrocatalyst design and optimization strategies. Special emphasis is placed on reducing overpotentials and improving process efficiency through electrolyte modifications, particularly the urea oxidation reaction (UOR). Meanwhile, this review analyzes the structural properties and catalytic activities of electrocatalysts to improve the efficiency of WE. It highlights advancements in reducing overpotentials, enhancing reaction kinetics, and achieving energy savings while emphasizing environmental benefits, which guides future research and innovation in optimizing hydrogen production, supporting clean energy, and reducing fossil fuel dependence.