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Improving plasma sprayed Raney-type nickel-molybdenum electrodes towards high-performance hydrogen evolution in
Fatemeh Razmjooei1, Taikai Liu2,3, Daniela Aguiar Azevedo2,4
1Institute of Engineering Thermodynamics, German Aerospace Center, Pfaffenwaldring 38-40, 70569, Stuttgart, Germany. Fatemeh.Razmjooei@dlr.de.
Scientific Reports
|July 4, 2020
Summary
Free-standing Raney-type nickel-molybdenum electrodes fabricated using atmospheric plasma spraying show optimized microstructure and enhanced electrochemical performance for hydrogen evolution reactions. These binder-free electrodes demonstrate high stability and current densities in alkaline media.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Electrochemistry
- Catalysis
Background:
- Developing efficient and stable electrodes for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in alkaline media is crucial for water electrolysis.
- Raney-type nickel-molybdenum (Ni-Mo) alloys offer promising catalytic properties, but their fabrication and performance optimization require careful control.
Purpose of the Study:
- To rationally design free-standing and binder-free Raney-type Ni-Mo electrodes using atmospheric plasma spraying (APS).
- To correlate APS process parameters with electrode microstructure and electrochemical HER performance in alkaline media.
- To circumvent sluggish alkaline HER through rational electrode composition and interface engineering.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of Raney-type Ni-Mo electrodes via atmospheric plasma spraying (APS).
- Correlation of APS process parameters (plasma gas flow rate, input plasma power) with in-flight particle characteristics (velocity, temperature).
- Microstructural analysis (morphology, phase distribution, porosity) and electrochemical performance testing (Tafel slope, current density, stability) in 30 wt.% KOH.
Main Results:
- APS process parameters significantly influence electrode morphology, elemental composition, and microstructure.
- Optimized plasma conditions yield finer electrode structures with homogeneous phases, micro-pores, and suitable Ni-Mo content, leading to decreased Tafel slopes (down to 33 mV dec⁻¹).
- Electrodes fabricated at highest plasma gas flow and energy exhibited superior inter-particle bonding, stability over 47 days, and high current densities (0.72 A cm⁻² at 1.8 V and 2 A cm⁻² at 2.2 V) as HER electrodes.
Conclusions:
- Atmospheric plasma spraying is an effective method for producing binder-free Raney-type Ni-Mo electrodes with tunable properties.
- Controlled APS parameters enable optimization of electrode microstructure for enhanced HER catalytic activity and stability in alkaline media.
- The developed Ni-Mo electrodes represent a novel approach to overcome sluggish alkaline HER, showing potential for efficient alkaline water electrolysis.
