Electrolytic composite layers based on nickel with nickel oxide addition

Abstract

Electrolytic composite layers based on nickel were obtained under galvanostatic conditions on a copper substrate at a temperature of 298 K with current densities of 0.1–0.2 A cm −2 from a Watts electrolyte containing a suspension of nickel oxide. The composite layers were characterized by optimum growth of the mass of the composite constituent, and had very well-developed surface morphologies. The phase composition of composite layers was investigated by X-ray diffraction. These layers were subjected to cyclic cathodic-anodic polarization from the hydrogen evolution potential to the oxygen evolution potential for 1 h in order to attain electrochemical activation of the composite constituents. Next, using single-sweep voltammetry, an electrochemical characterization of the performance of these layers in 1 M KOH solution was conducted. The results were compared with analogous dependencies obtained in solutions containing aliphatic alcohols C 1-C 4. The effects of temperature and rate of polarization of the electrode on the behavior of j-E curves were ascertained. The electro-oxidation of alcohols in alkaline environment was characterized by calculating the reaction rate constants and the activation energies on the composite surface layers.