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Probing Transition-Metal Silicides as PGM-Free Catalysts for Hydrogen Oxidation and Evolution in Acidic Medium
Thomas Mittermeier1, Pankaj Madkikar2, Xiaodong Wang3,4
1Department of Chemistry and Catalysis Research Center, Technical University of Munich, Lichtenbergstr. 4, D-85748 Garching, Germany. thomas.mittermeier@tum.de.
Abstract:
In this experimental study, we investigate various transition-metal silicides as platinum-group-metal-(PGM)-free electrocatalysts for the hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR), and for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in acidic environment for the first time. Using cyclic voltammetry in 0.1 M HClO₄, we first demonstrate that the tested materials exhibit sufficient stability against dissolution in the relevant potential window. Further, we determine the HOR and HER activities for Mo, W, Ta, Ni and Mo-Ni silicides in rotating disk electrode experiments. In conclusion, for the HOR only Ni₂Si shows limited activity, and the HER activity of the investigated silicides is considerably lower compared to other PGM-free HER catalysts reported in the literature.
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