Realizing highly-efficient urea oxidation via decreasing the energy barrier of deprotonation over regulated electronic structure of Co doped Ni(OH)2

•Co doped Ni(OH)2 exhibited excellent performance toward urea oxidation reaction.•5 %Co-Ni(OH)2 outperformed the commercial catalysts in urea-assisted hydrogen generation.•Co regulated the electronic structures of Ni(OH)2 with excess electrons in Ni.•Co dopant altered the adsorption behavior of urea molecules on NiOOH surface.•Co dopant decreased the energy barrier of deprotonation during urea oxidation.