The effect of current density on the structure of nickel electrolytic foams and their catalytic properties during hydrogen production

Tina-Tini S. Trofimova; Tatiana N. Ostanina; Valentin M. Rudoi; Elizaveta A. Mazurina

doi:10.17308/kcmf.2023.25/10981

Tina-Tini S. Trofimova Ural Federal University, 19 Mira str., Ekaterinburg 620002, Russian Federation https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4135-8856
Tatiana N. Ostanina Ural Federal University, 19 Mira str., Ekaterinburg 620002, Russian Federation https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6149-7204
Valentin M. Rudoi Ural Federal University, 19 Mira str., Ekaterinburg 620002, Russian Federation https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8055-8148
Elizaveta A. Mazurina Ural Federal University, 19 Mira str., Ekaterinburg 620002, Russian Federation https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5507-0311

DOI: https://doi.org/10.17308/kcmf.2023.25/10981

Keywords: Porosity, Nickel, Electrodeposition, Catalytic properties, Depolarization

Abstract

The effect of current density on the regularities of nickel foam deposition processes has been studied. Porous nickel foams were obtained by electrochemical deposition in the galvanostatic mode at current densities of 0.3, 0.6, 0.9, and 1.2 A cm-2. The obtained deposits were characterized by high porosity and well adherence to the substrate material. The electrolytic foams had macro- and micropores.
The features of the formation of the macropore system have been studied. It has been established that at low hydrogen evolution rates, a gradual formation of a porous structure occurs. While at higher rates, the formation of the matrix structure ends in the first minutes of electrolysis. It was shown that the log-normal distribution can be used to describe the formation of a hydrogen template as a system of macropores in electrolytic nickel foams over a wide range of current densities. A technique for the estimation of nickel foam macroporosity based on the data on the fraction of the surface occupied by macropores is proposed. The total porosity of deposits was calculated based on the data on the mass and volume of electrolytic foams. The catalytic activity of the obtained porous electrodes towards the hydrogen evolution reaction was
analysed in an alkali solution. The value of depolarization at a current density of 0.3 A·cm–2 was used as a criterion for the efficiency of nickel foams. The value of depolarization for the obtained deposits varies in a wide range from 170 to 400 mV and strongly depends on the conditions of foam synthesis and their thickness.
It has been established that nickel foams obtained at 1.2 A·cm–2 exhibit the best catalytic properties due to their uniform structure characterized by a large number of macropores evenly distributed throughout the foam volume. This ensures maximum access of the reacting particles to the electrode surface.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Author Biographies

Tina-Tini S. Trofimova, Ural Federal University, 19 Mira str., Ekaterinburg 620002, Russian Federation

Junior Researcher Scientific
of the Laboratory of Electrochemical Devices and
Materials, Institute of Сhemical Engineering, Ural
Federal University (Ekaterinburg, Russia).

Tatiana N. Ostanina, Ural Federal University, 19 Mira str., Ekaterinburg 620002, Russian Federation

Dr. Sci. (Chem.), Professor of
the Technology of Electrochemical Manufactures
Department, Institute of Chemical Engineering, Ural
Federal University (Ekaterinburg, Russia).

Valentin M. Rudoi, Ural Federal University, 19 Mira str., Ekaterinburg 620002, Russian Federation

Dr. Sci. (Chem.), Professor of the
Technology of Electrochemical Manufactures
Department, Institute of Chemical Engineering, Ural
Federal University (Ekaterinburg, Russia).

Elizaveta A. Mazurina, Ural Federal University, 19 Mira str., Ekaterinburg 620002, Russian Federation

Master’s Degree student of
the Technology of Electrochemical Manufactures
Department, Institute of chemical engineering, Ural
Federal University (Ekaterinburg, Russia).

References

Li X., Zhao L., Yu J., Liu X., Zhang X., Liu H., Zhou W. Water splitting: from electrode to green energy system. Nano-Micro Letters. 2020;12: 131. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40820-020-00469-3

Herraiz-Cardona I., Ortega E., Vázquez-Gómez L., Pérez-Herranz V. Double-template fabrication of three-dimensional porous nickel electrodes for hydrogen evolution reaction. International journal of hydrogen energy. 2012;37(3): 2147–2156. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhydene.2011.09.155

Siwek K. I., Eugenio S., Santos D. M. F., Silva M. T., Montemor M. F. 3D nickel foams with controlled morphologies for hydrogen evolution reaction in highly alkaline media. International journal of hydrogen energy. 2019;44(3): 1701–1709. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhydene.2018.11.070

Swain N., Mitra A., Saravanakumar B., Balasingam S. K., Mohanty S., Nayak S. K., Ramadoss A., Construction of three-dimensional MnO2/Ni network as an efficient electrode material for high performance supercapacitors. Electrochimica Acta. 2020;342: 136041. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.electacta.2020.136041

Shi Y., Zhang L., Zhang Y., Li J., Fu Q., Zhu X., Liao Q. Construction of a hierarchical porous surface composite electrode by dynamic hydrogen bubble template electrodeposition for ultrahigh-performance thermally regenerative ammonia-based batteries. Chemical Engineering Journal. 2021;423: 130339. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cej.2021.130339

Qiu, H., Tang, T., Asif, M., Huang, X., Hou, Y. 3D porous Cu current collectors derived by hydrogen bubble dynamic template for enhanced Li metal anode performance. Advanced Functional Materials. 2019;29: 1808468. https://doi.org/10.1002/adfm.201808468

Yu X., Yuan Z. The structure evolution mechanism of Ni films depending on hydrogen evolution propertyduring electrodeposition process. Metallurgical and Materials Transactions B. 2019;50: 587–594. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11663-019-01512-4

Sengupta S., Patra A., Jena S., Das K., Das S. A study on the effect of electrodeposition parameters on the morphology of porous nickel electrodeposits. Metallurgical and Materials Transactions A. 2018;49: 920–937. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11661-017-4452-8

González-Buch C., Herraiz-Cardona I., Ortega E., García-Antón J., Pérez-Herranz V. Synthesis and characterization of macroporous Ni, Co and Ni–Co electrocatalytic deposits for hydrogen evolution reaction in alkaline media. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy. 2013;38(25): 10157–10169. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhydene.2013.06.016

Vainoris M., Tsyntsaru N., Cesiulis H. Modified electrodeposited cobalt foam coatings as sensors for detection of free chlorine in water. Coatings. 2019;9: 306. https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings9050306

Zhang H., Ye Y., Shen R., Ru Ch., Hu Y. Effect of bubble behavior on the morphology of foamed porous copper prepared via electrodeposition. Journal of The Electrochemical Society. 2013;160: D441. https://doi.org/10.1149/2.019310jes

Cui L., Hu L., Shen Q., Liu X., Jia H., Xue J. Three-dimensional porous Cu2O with dendrite for efficient photocatalytic reduction of CO2 under visible light. Applied Surface Science. 2022;581: 152343. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsusc.2021.152343

Teng X., Wang J., Ji L., Liu Y., Zhang C., Chen Z. Fabrication of three-dimensional multiscale porous alloy foams at a planar substrate for efficient water splitting. ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering. 2019;7(5): 5412–5419. https://doi.org/10.1021/acssuschemeng.8b06452

Eugénio S., Demirci U. B., Silva T. M., Carmezim M. J., Montemor M. F. Copper-cobalt foams as active and stable catalysts for hydrogen release by hydrolysis of sodium borohydride. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy. 2016;41(20): 8438–8448. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhydene.2016.03.122

Swain N., Saravanakumar B., Mohanty S., Ramadoss A., Engineering of thermally converted 3D-NiOCo3O4/Ni//3D-°-Fe4NC@Ni/SS porous electrodes for high-performance supercapatteries. Electrochimica Acta. 2022;412: 140076. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.electacta.2022.140076

Mirzaee M., Dehghanian Ch. Nanostructured Ni-Cu foam electrodepositedon a copper substrate applied as supercapacitor electrode. Acta Metallurgica Slovaca. 2018;24: 325–336. https://doi.org/10.12776/ams.v24i4.1138

Trofimova T. S., Ostanina T. N., Nikitin V. S., Rudoi V. M., Ostanin N. I., Trofimov A. A. Modeling of the porous nickel deposits formation and assessing the effect of their thickness on the catalytic properties toward the hydrogen evolution reaction. International Journal of Hydrogen Energy. 2021;46: 16857–16867. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhydene.2021.02.093

Marozzi C. A., Chialvo A. C. Development of electrode morphologies of interest in electrocatalysis. Part 1: Electrodeposited porous nickel electrodes. Electrochimica Acta. 2000;45: 2111–2120. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0013-4686(99)00422-3

Diggle J. W., Despic A. R., Bockris J. O. The mechanism of the dendritic electrocrystallization of zinc. Journal of The Electrochemical Society. 1969;116: 1503. https://doi.org/10.1149/1.2411588

Eugénio S., Silva T. M., Carmezim M. J., Duarte R. G., Montemor M. . Electrodeposition and characterization of nickel-copper metallic foams for application as electrodes for supercapacitors. Journal of Applied Electrochemistry. 2014;44: 455–65. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10800-013-0646-y

Trofimova T. S., Darintseva A. B., Ostanina T. N., Rudoi V. M., Il’ina I.E. Effect of the structure and morphology of Ni-based porous deposits on their electrocatalytic activity towards hydrogen evolution reaction. Powder Metallurgy аnd Functional Coatings. 2021;(4): 57–67. (In Russ., abstract in Eng.). https://doi.org/10.17073/1997-308X-2021-4-57-67

Eadie W. T., Dryard D., James F. E., Roos M., Sadoulet B. Statistical methods in experimental physics. North-Holland, Amsterdam; 1971. 296 p.

Bernäcker C. I., Rauscher T., Büttner T., Kieback B., Röntzsch L. A Powder metallurgy route to rroduce raney-nickel electrodes for alkaline water electrolysis. Journal of The Electrochemical Society. 2019; 166(6): F357–F363. https://doi.org/10.1149/2.0851904jes