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Electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution in acidic media using electrodeposited Ag/PPy and Ni/PPy hybrid materials

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Abstract

Two types of hybrid films were prepared by electrolytic deposition of Ni or Ag nanoparticles on pre-deposited polypyrrole (PPy) layers to produce electrocatalytic materials for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Porous PPy substrate was used to increase the surface area for active material deposition and accordingly to enhance the catalytic performance of hybrid electrodes. The influence of metallic nanoparticle loading on electrocatalytic activity of hybrid electrodes was studied. Surface morphology of electrodes produced was characterised by scanning electron microscope. It was found that the increasing number of deposition cycles resulted in increasing amount of Ni nanoparticles while rather in increasing size of Ag nanoparticles deposited on PPy substrate. The electrocatalytic activity of hybrid layers and bare metallic layers deposited at the same conditions was evaluated by linear Tafel polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy in a 0.5 M H2SO4 solution. Hybrid layers showed enhanced catalytic activity as compared to bare metallic layers. The best HER performance was observed for electrodes with highest metallic nanoparticle loading. The comparison of values of overpotential needed to afford the cathodic current density of 10 mA/cm2 has shown that hybrid layers containing Ag exhibited slightly higher catalytic activity towards the HER than Ni-containing layers. However, lower values of equilibrium potential were observed for Ni-containing hybrid layers as compared to Ag-containing layers. The Tafel analysis indicated that the HER was limited by the Volmer step for Ag-containing electrodes, while by the Heyrovsky step for Ni-containing electrodes. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy revealed that the hybrid layers with highest metallic nanoparticle loading reduce the charge transfer resistance of the HER.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the Project VVGS-2014-187 and Project VEGA 1/0074/17 of the Slovak Scientific Grant Agency.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physical and Theoretical Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Comenius University, Mlynská Dolina, 842 15, Bratislava, Slovak Republic

    Mária Sabalová

  2. Department of Physical Chemistry, Faculty of Science, P.J. Šafárik University, Moyzesova 11, 04154, Košice, Slovak Republic

    Mária Sabalová, Renáta Oriňaková, Andrej Oriňak & Ivana Smoradová

  3. Institute of Materials Research, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Watsonova 47, 04001, Košice, Slovak Republic

    Miriam Kupková & Magdaléna Strečková

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  1. Mária Sabalová
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  2. Renáta Oriňaková
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Correspondence to Mária Sabalová.

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Sabalová, M., Oriňaková, R., Oriňak, A. et al. Electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution in acidic media using electrodeposited Ag/PPy and Ni/PPy hybrid materials. Chem. Pap. 71, 513–523 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11696-016-0079-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11696-016-0079-2

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