Ni-Zr alloys: relationship between surface characteristics and electrocatalytic behavior

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 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.