A catholically pre-treated low cost screen-printed carbon electrode surface for metal compounds electrocatalyst like hydrogen evolution activity

Publication date: Available online 22 February 2019Source: Journal of Electroanalytical ChemistryAuthor(s): Yu-Ju Chen, Ting-Hao Yang, Jen-Lin Chang, Wan-Ling Cheng, Annamalai Senthil Kumar, Jyh-Myng ZenAbstractSearch for simple and economical electrocatalyst for the hydrogen gas evolution reaction (HER), which can resemble to the performance of Pt and other precious metals, is a challenging research interest. In this work, a systematic effect of pre-treatment potential of screen-printed carbon (SPCE) surface on the HER performance in 0.5 M H2SO4 was carried out. A new observation of a low potential HER (onset potential, Eonset = −0.02 V vs. RHE) on a cathodic potential, −0.5 V vs. Ag/AgCl for 1 hr pre-treated screen-printed carbon electrode (SPCE*, * = pre-treated) was observed. Physicochemical and electrochemical characterizations of the SPCE* by field emission scanning electron-microscope, Raman, IR and X-Ray photoelectron spectroscopes reveals specific generation of carboxylic acid functionalized carbon surface and in turn for the enhanced HER on the modified electrode surface. Electrochemical characterization of SPCE* with Fe(CN)63− support the observation. A marked decrement in the peak current and significant increase in the peak-to-peak separation potential response due electrostatic repulsion between the anion sites of Fe(CN)63− and –COO– were noticed. This observation is in parallel with the reduced electrical double layer capacitance val...

Source: Journal of Electroanalytical Chemistry - February 23, 2019 Category: Chemistry Source Type: research