Electrocatalytic behavior of thermally deposited RuO2 into the microporous Raney nickel electrode (Ni-Zn-P-RuO2) towards the HER

Abstract

The aqueous suspended RuCl3 was coated into the pores of microporous Ni-Zn-P alloy and thermally decomposed at 400°C in an open furnace to produce composite electrodes (Ni-Zn-P-RuO2). The microporous alloy was prepared via a three-step layer-by-layer galvanostatic deposition. The electrocatalytic behavior of the electrode was investigated in the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), by steady state polarization Tafel curves, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and cyclic voltammetry (CV) in 1M NaOH solution at 25°C. The kinetics as Tafel slopes, double layer capacitances, and charge transfer resistances towards the HER were evaluated. The electrode is characterized by (i) a large real surface area of three orders of magnitude obtained from CV and EIS measurements, and (ii) high physical and electrochemical stability of RuO2 dispersed into the surface. The poisoning effect of cyanide ion on the HER was also studied by EIS. This study allowed us to select properly data for kinetics approximation. © J. New. Mat. Electrochem. Systems.