Electrodeposition of Iridium-Nickel Thin Films on Copper Foam: Effects of Loading and Solution Temperature on Hydrogen Evolution Reaction Performance of Electrocatalyst in Alkaline Water

Abstract

Developing novel hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) catalysts with high activity, high stability and low cost is of great importance for the applications of hydrogen energy. In this work, iridium-nickel thin films were electrodeposited on a copper foam as electrocatalyst for HER, and electrodeposition mechanism of iridium-nickel film was studied. The morphology and chemical composition of thin films were determined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), respectively. The electrocatalytic performances of the films were estimated by linear sweep voltammograms (LSV), electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and cyclic voltammetry (CV). The results show that iridium-nickel thin films were attached to the substrate of porous structure and hollow topography. The deposition of nickel was preferable in the electrolyte without the addition of additives, and the iridium-nickel thin film was alloyed, resulting in a high deposition rate for Ir42Ni58 thin film, and subsequently an increase of iridium content in the thin films of Ir80Ni20 and Ir88Ni12. Iridium-nickel thin films with Tafel slopes of 40–49 mV dec–1 exhibited highly efficient electrocatalytic activity for HER. The electrocatalytic activity of iridium-nickel thin films showed a loading dependence. As the solution temperature increased from 20°C to 60°C, the hydrogen evolution performance of iridium-nickel thin films improved. The apparent activation energy value of Ir88Ni12 film was 7.1 kJ mol–1. Long-term hydrogen evolution tests exhibited excellent electrocatalytic stability in alkaline solution.