Nickel-Polyaniline Composite Electrodes for Electrocatalytic Reduction of Hydrogen in Alkaline Media

Abstract

The use of hydrogen fuel cell for generating electricity is one of the potential solutions to solve the energy crisis problem. Electrolysis of water is a promising technique to produce hydrogen, however, the large-scale application is, at present, restricted by its high HER (hydrogen evolution reaction) overpotential. Nickel-conductive polymers composites have been proposed as potential electrodes for the electrocatalytic reduction of hydrogen, due to the combination of good mechanical and electrical properties. In this work, it was investigated the electrochemical behavior of Ni and Nickel-Polyaniline (Ni/PAni) composite electrodes. The electrodes were obtained by electrodeposition from a suspension containing PAni particles. The electrocatalytic activity was monitored from polarization curves and the morphology was evaluated by scanning electron microscopy. The results showed that the incorporation of PAni in nickel metal matrix promotes an increase in electrocatalytic activity of HER, compared to nickel electrode.