Enhancing the alkaline hydrogen evolution reaction activity through the bifunctionality of Ni(OH)2/metal catalysts

N Danilovic; Ram Subbaraman; D Strmcnik; Kee-Chul Chang; A P Paulikas; V R Stamenkovic; Nenad M Markovic

doi:10.1002/anie.201204842

Enhancing the alkaline hydrogen evolution reaction activity through the bifunctionality of Ni(OH)2/metal catalysts

Angew Chem Int Ed Engl. 2012 Dec 7;51(50):12495-8. doi: 10.1002/anie.201204842. Epub 2012 Nov 5.

Authors

N Danilovic¹, Ram Subbaraman, D Strmcnik, Kee-Chul Chang, A P Paulikas, V R Stamenkovic, Nenad M Markovic

Affiliation

¹ Materials Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois 60439, USA.

PMID: 23129151
DOI: 10.1002/anie.201204842

Abstract

Active in alkaline environment: The activity of nickel, silver, and copper catalysts for the electrochemical transformation of water to molecular hydrogen in alkaline solutions was enhanced by modification of the metal surfaces by Ni(OH)(2) (see picture; I = current density and η = overpotential). The hydrogen evolution reaction rate on a Ni electrode modified by Ni(OH)(2) nanoclusters is about four times higher than on a bare Ni surface.