Electrodeposition of Ni particles on laser nanostructured electrodes for enhanced hydrogen evolution reaction

In this study, a two-step electrode fabrication process is used to enlarge the electrocatalytic area of the electrodes and improve the hydrogen evolution reaction. Nickel electrodes were laser-nanostructured, and afterward, they were galvanostatically electrodeposited, a novel approach for electrodes used for HER. SEM and EDX analysis were performed. The electrochemical evaluation provided enhanced values of overpotential (eta(10) = 108 mV), Tafel slope (b =-121 mV dec(-1)) and double layer capacitance (1945 lF cm(-2)) compared to the literature. The stability of the electrodes was tested by its overpotential (|eta(100)|=264 mV) in a current density of 100 mA cm(-2). Copyright (c) 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

In this study, a two-step electrode fabrication process was used to increase the electrocatalytic area and enhance the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Nickel electrodes were laser-nanostructured and subsequently galvanostatically electrodeposited, which is a novel approach for HER electrodes. The electrodes were characterized using SEM and EDX analysis. The electrochemical evaluation showed improved values of overpotential, Tafel slope, and double layer capacitance compared to the literature. The stability of the electrodes was tested by evaluating their overpotential at a high current density.