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Ni‐Zr alloys: relationship between surface characteristics and electrocatalytic behavior
Author(s) -
Angelini Emma,
Antonione Carlo,
Baricco Marcello,
Daolio Sergio,
Fabrizio Monica,
Rosalbino Francesco
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
rapid communications in mass spectrometry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.528
H-Index - 136
eISSN - 1097-0231
pISSN - 0951-4198
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1097-0231(20000515)14:9<800::aid-rcm947>3.0.co;2-f
Subject(s) - chemistry , nanocrystalline material , scanning electron microscope , electrochemistry , amorphous solid , differential scanning calorimetry , zirconium , dissolution , oxide , isotropic etching , polarization (electrochemistry) , analytical chemistry (journal) , exchange current density , inorganic chemistry , overpotential , etching (microfabrication) , chemical engineering , electrode , layer (electronics) , crystallography , materials science , physics , organic chemistry , chromatography , engineering , composite material , thermodynamics , tafel equation
Abstract A relationship between electrocatalytic activity for the hydrogen evolution reaction and the surface composition of the electrode was established for Ni‐Zr crystalline and amorphous alloys by means of secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS). Electrocatalytic activity was tested by means of cathodic polarization in 1 M KOH at 25 °C and the resulting exchange current density has been taken as a measure of catalytic efficiency. Surface activation treatment involved chemical etching in HF solutions; the consequent morphological and compositional surface changes were studied by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), X‐ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The electrochemical behavior of the pure elements (Ni and Zr) was also considered for comparison. All samples submitted to chemical etching in HF solutions showed an increase in electrocatalytic activity, particularly the alloy with the highest Ni content. The beneficial effect of chemical etching is due to dissolution of the zirconium oxide layer and to the formation of nanocrystalline Ni on the surfaces. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.