Electrochemical preparation and alkaline water splitting activity of ternary Co–Fe–Mo non-crystalline coatings

Abstract

The influence of Na2MoO4 concentration on the electrochemical deposition of Co–Fe and Co–Fe–Mo alloy coatings from slightly acidic citrate baths and their electrocatalytic performance for alkaline water electrolysis in 1 M NaOH solution have been examined. The chemical composition and the evolution of the crystallographic structure have been analyzed by X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscope with energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) measurements. Increasing concentration of Mo in the alloy led to gradual amorphization of the crystalline structure. Electrochemical studies revealed that the cathodic Tafel slope reduced to 69 mV/dec for Co–Fe–Mo alloys. Furthermore, a low overpotential value of −121 mV was observed from polarization studies, which confirmed a good catalytic activity for the alkaline water splitting process.