Toward Efficient Hydrogen Generation Using Nickel-Molybdenum Catalyst and Its Environmental Sustainability

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrochemistry
• Catalysis

Background:

• Developing efficient and cost-effective catalysts is crucial for sustainable hydrogen production.
• Nickel-molybdenum (Ni-Mo) alloys show potential for electrocatalytic applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize a Ni-Mo bimetallic catalyst using an electric heating/reductive tempering method.
• To evaluate the catalyst's performance for electrochemical hydrogen generation.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of Ni-Mo catalyst from nickel (II) nitrate hexahydrate and ammonium molybdate.
• Characterization using X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), and Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP) analysis.
• Electrochemical evaluation via electrical impedance analysis in 1M KOH.

Main Results:

• The synthesized Ni-Mo catalyst demonstrated efficient charge-transfer kinetics with low resistance (5.35 Ω).
• Achieved an onset potential of 18 mV and an overpotential of -100 mV.
• Exhibited a high turnover frequency of 0.91 H₂ s⁻¹ for hydrogen generation.

Conclusions:

• The Ni-Mo catalyst is a promising material for efficient and sustainable hydrogen generation.
• The synthesis method is cost-effective and environmentally conscious, as assessed by the Analytical Greenness Calculator (AGREE).
• This research contributes to advancing renewable energy technologies through improved catalyst design.