Effects of substrate materials and electrodeposition parameters on hydrogen evolution reaction of Ni–Cu–Fe coatings

Abstract

In this study, the effects of substrate materials and electrodeposition parameters on the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) of Ni–Cu–Fe coatings were studied. For this purpose, different materials, including carbon steel (CS), stainless steel 304 (SS), and pure commercial graphite (G) were used as substrates, while the coating process was done in both modes of constant current density (CC) and variable current density, the latter to produce a functionally-graded (FG) coating. Microstructural investigations were done by using scanning electron microscopy, while the HER behavior was analyzed by electrochemical tests, including cyclic voltammetry (CV), linear scanning voltammetry (LSV), and electrochemical impedance (EIS) measurements. The morphology of the produced Ni–Cu–Fe coatings was completely affected by the coating parameters in the deposition bath and the type of substrates. In samples with micro/nano-cone morphology, deposited at a constant current density of 2.5 A/dm2, better HER behavior was obtained due to the highly effective surface and easier separation of hydrogen bubbles. Besides, the best electrocatalytic activity and the lowest overpotential (110 mV at 10 mA/cm2 in CC mode) were related to the samples coated on G. The proper selection of the substrate material plays an important role in improving the electrocatalytic behavior of composite coatings.