A phosphorus modified mesoporous AuRh film as an efficient bifunctional electrocatalyst for urea-assisted energy-saving hydrogen production

Hybrid water electrolysis composed of the anodic urea oxidation reaction (UOR) and the cathodic hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) has been regarded as a green and sustainable technique for hydrogen production, and its efficiency highly depends on the identification of active electrocatalysts. Herein, a phosphorus modified mesoporous AuRh film grown on Ni foam (P-mAuRh film/NF) is synthesized via the combination of an in situ micelle assisted chemical displacement method and post phosphorization treatment process, and serves as a highly active and durable electrocatalyst for both the HER and UOR. Impressively, the self-supported P-mAuRh film/NF as both the anodic and cathodic catalyst can efficiently drive overall urea-assisted water electrolysis. The outstanding electrocatalytic performance of P-mAuRh film/NF is attributed to the synergism of the mesoporous film nanoarchitecture and optimized bimetallic composition, as well as the electron interaction between metal and nonmetal. This research offers a universal route to synthesize bifunctional nonmetal–metal mesoporous films for energy-saving H2 production via hybrid water electrolysis.