Amorphous Ni-S-Mn alloy as hydrogen evolution reaction cathode in alkaline medium

Amorphous Ni-S-Mn alloy electrodes were obtained by electrodeposition. The microstructure, surface morphology and composition of the new Ni-S-Mn alloy on the Ni substrate were analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectrometry (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive analysis of X-ray (EDAX). The electrochemical kinetics and mechanism of the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) of formed electrodes were studied by measurement of the steady-state polarization. Owing to the larger exchange current densities, the lower standard reaction activity energy and a larger surface toughness, the amorphous Ni-S-Mn alloy electrode performs at a higher electrochemical activity with greater stability for the HER in 30 wt% KOH solution at various temperatures than the Ni-S alloy electrode. (C) 2007 International Association for Hydrogen Energy. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.