Severe plastic deformed Pd-based metallic glass for superior hydrogen evolution in both acidic and alkaline media

Abstract

The electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) on a Pd40Cu30Ni10P20 metallic glass (MG) in both acidic and alkaline media is enhanced through severe plastic deformation using high-pressure torsion (HPT). The severe plastic deformation increased the energy state of the sample by approximately 21.7J/g without causing crystallization. The overpotentials at 10 mA cm−2 of the HPT-treated Pd40Cu30Ni10P20 MG are 76 mV and 209 mV in 0.5 M H2SO4 and 1.0 M KOH, respectively, which are much smaller than those of 179 mV and 379 mV for the melt-spun Pd40Cu30Ni10P20 MG at the same conditions. The improved HER performances should be mainly attributed to the significantly increased density of flow units in the amorphous matrix by severe plastic deformation.Severe plastic deformation by the high-pressure torsion (HPT) on a Pd40Cu30Ni10P20 metallic glass (MG) would generate more flow units upon the amorphous matrix and significantly improve the electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) performances in both acidic and alkaline media.