Issue 27, 2016

Galvanic replacement of electrodeposited nickel by palladium and investigation of the electrocatalytic activity of synthesized Pd/(Ni) for hydrogen evolution and formic acid oxidation

Abstract

A series of controllable Pd/(Ni) catalysts were synthesized by the use of galvanic replacement between electrodeposited nickel and palladium in [PdCl4]2− containing solution. The mechanisms of galvanic replacement were investigated by monitoring the potential variations versus time, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). The electrocatalytic activities of the prepared catalysts were evaluated by linear sweep voltammetry for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in 0.5 M H2SO4 and formic acid oxidation in 0.5 M H2SO4 + 0.5 M HCOOH. In addition, the effect of the Ni loading amount on the final morphology, chemical composition and electrocatalytic activity of the galvanically replaced Pd/(Ni) catalysts was studied. The results indicated that the morphology of the Pd/(Ni) changes from thin film to nano/micro dendrite depending on the amounts of electrodeposited Ni loading. The sharp and relatively symmetric peaks that were observed in the voltammograms indicated the reversibility of electrochemical hydrogen absorption/extraction. The same Tafel slopes estimated for all Pd/(Ni) suggested the predomination of Volmer–Heyrovsky mechanisms in catalyzing the hydrogen evolution reaction. In addition, the Pd/(Ni) thin film catalyst exhibited superior electrocatalytic mass activity towards the oxidation of formic acid (1.39 A mg−1 at the peak potential). Moreover, comparison of the Pd/(Ni) thin film activity with some other palladium-based catalysts in some recent studies with relatively good results showed that the galvanically replaced Pd/(Ni) thin film has great potential as a fast, easily prepared, and active electrocatalyst for formic acid oxidation.

Graphical abstract: Galvanic replacement of electrodeposited nickel by palladium and investigation of the electrocatalytic activity of synthesized Pd/(Ni) for hydrogen evolution and formic acid oxidation

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
19 Dec 2015
Accepted
01 Feb 2016
First published
02 Feb 2016

RSC Adv., 2016,6, 22500-22510

Galvanic replacement of electrodeposited nickel by palladium and investigation of the electrocatalytic activity of synthesized Pd/(Ni) for hydrogen evolution and formic acid oxidation

H. Rasouli, S. H. Tabaian and M. Rezaei, RSC Adv., 2016, 6, 22500 DOI: 10.1039/C5RA27219J

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