Effect of TiO₂ nanoparticles on hydrogen evolution reaction activity of Ni coatings

Abstract

The electrocatalytic activity of electrodeposited Ni and Ni–TiO₂ coatings with regard to the alkaline hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) was investigated. The Ni coatings were electrodeposited from an acid chloride bath at different current densities, and their HER activities were examined in a 1.0-mol·L^-1 KOH medium. The variations in the HER activity of the Ni coatings with changes in surface morphology and composition were examined via the electrochemical dissolution and incorporation of nanoparticles. Electrochemical analysis methods were used to monitor the HER activity of the test electrodes; this activity was confirmed via the quantification of gases that evolved during the analysis. The obtained results demonstrated that the Ni–TiO₂ nanocomposite test electrode exhibited maximum activity toward the alkaline HER. The surface appearance, composition, and the phase structure of all developed coatings were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), and X-ray diffraction (XRD), respectively. The improvement in the electrocatalytic activity of Ni–TiO₂ nanocomposite coating toward HER was attributed to the variation in surface morphology and increased number of active sites.

Keywords

coatings / electrodeposition / nanocomposite / electrocatalysis

References

[1] Veziroğlu T.N., Şahin S. 21st century’s energy: hydrogen energy system, Energy Convers. Manage., 2008, 49(7): 1820.

[2] Vezir lu T.N., Barbir F. Hydrogen: the wonder fuel. Int. J. Hydrogen Energy, 1992, 17(6): 391.

[3] Zou X.X., Zhang Y. Noble metal-free hydrogen evolution catalysts for water splitting. Chem. Soc. Rev., 2015, 44(15): 5148.

[4] Pletcher D. Electrocatalysis: present and future. J. Appl. Electrochem., 1984, 14(4): 403.

[5] Safizadeh F., Ghali E., Houlachi G. Electrocatalysis developments for hydrogen evolution reaction in alkaline solutions―A review. Int. J. Hydrogen Energy, 2015, 40(1): 256.

[6] Pletcher D., Li X.H. Prospects for alkaline zero gap water electrolysers for hydrogen production. Int. J. Hydrogen Energy, 2011, 36, 15089.

[7] Tilak B.V., Ramamurthy A.C., Conway B.E. High performance electrode materials for the hydrogen evolution reaction from alkaline media. J. Chem. Sci., 1986, 97(3-4): 359.

[8] Cardoso D.S.P., Amaral L., Santos D.M.F., Sequeira B. Šljukić, C.A.C. C.A.C., Macciò D., Saccone A. Enhancement of hydrogen evolution in alkaline water electrolysis by using nickel-rare earth alloys. Int. J. Hydrogen Energy, 2015, 40(12): 4295.

[9] Elias L.J., Scott K., Hegde A.C. Electrolytic synthesis and characterization of electrocatalytic Ni–W alloy. J. Mater. Eng. Perform., 2015, 24(11): 4182.

[10] Elias L., Cao P., Hegde A.C. Magnetoelectrodeposition of Ni–W alloy coatings for enhanced hydrogen evolution reaction. RSC Adv., 2016, 6(112): 111358.

[11] Elias L., Hegde A.C. Modification of Ni–P alloy coatings for better hydrogen production by electrochemical dissolution and TiO₂ nanoparticles. RSC Adv., 2016, 6(70): 66204.

[12] Kanani N. Electroplating: Basic Principles, Processes and Practice, 2004, Germany, Elsevier 5.

[13] Beneaand L., Pavlov A.I. Ni–TiO2 nanocomposite coatings as cathode material for hydrogen evolution reaction. J. Optoelectron. Adv. Mater., 2013, 7(11-12): 895.

[14] Baghery P., Farzam M., Mousavi A.B., Hosseini M. Ni–TiO₂ nanocomposite coating with high resistance to corrosion and wear. Surf. Coat. Technol., 2010, 204(23): 3804.

[15] Elias L., Hegde A.C. Synthesis and characterization of Ni–P–Ag composite coating as efficient electrocatalyst for alkaline hydrogen evolution reaction. Electrochim. Acta, 2016, 219, 377.

[16] Low C.T.J., Wills R.G.A., Walsh F.C. Electrodeposition of composite coatings containing nanoparticles in a metal deposit. Surf. Coat. Technol., 2006, 201(1-2): 371.

[17] Aal A.A., Hassan H.B. Electrodeposited nanocomposite coatings for fuel cell application. J. Alloys Compd., 2009, 477(1-2): 652.

[18] Raj I.A. Nickel-based, binary-composite electrocatalysts for the cathodes in the energy-efficient industrial production of hydrogen from alkaline-water electrolytic cells. J. Mater. Sci., 1993, 28(16): 4375.

[19] Li C.Q., Li X.H., Wang Z.X., Guo H.J. Nickel electrodeposition from novel citrate bath. Trans. Nonferrous Met. Soc. China, 2007, 17(6): 1300.

[20] Rudnik E., Wojnicki M., Włoch G. Effect of gluconate addition on the electrodeposition of nickel from acidic baths. Surf. Coat. Technol., 2012, 207, 375.

[21] Gierlotka D., Ro´winski E., Budniok A., Giewka E.L. Production and properties of electrolytic Ni–P–TiO₂ composite layers. J. Appl. Electrochem., 1997, 27(12): 1349.

[22] Ruzybayev I., Yassitepe E., Ali A., Bhatti A.S., Mohamed R.M., Islam M., Shah S.I. Reactive pulsed laser deposited N–C codoped TiO₂ thin films. Mater. Sci. Semicond. Process., 2015, 39, 371.

[23] Javed S., Mujahid M., Islam M., Manzoor U. Morphological effects of reflux condensation on nanocrystalline anatase gel and thin films. Mater. Chem. Phys., 2012, 132(2-3): 509.

[24] Islam M., Shehbaz T. Effect of synthesis conditions and post-deposition treatments on composition and structural morphology of medium-phosphorus electroless Ni–P films. Surf. Coat. Technol., 2011, 205(19): 4397.

[25] Elias L., Hegde A.C. Effect of including the carbon nanotube and graphene oxide on the electrocatalytic behavior of the Ni–W^alloy for the hydrogen evolution reaction. New J. Chem., 2017, 41(22): 13912.

[26] Islam M., Azhar M.R., Fredj N., Burleigh T.D. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and indentation studies of pure and composite electroless Ni–P coatings. Surf. Coat. Technol., 2013, 236, 262.