Low-Pressure Plasma-Processed Ruthenium/Nickel Foam Electrocatalysts for Hydrogen Evolution Reaction

• Published in: Materials Vol. 15; no. 7; p. 2603
• Main Authors: Liu, Chen, Tseng, Chia-Yun, Wang, Ying-Chyi, Cheng, I-Chun, Chen, Jian-Zhang
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 01-04-2022; MDPI
• Subjects: Alternative energy sources; Aqueous solutions; Argon; catalyst; Chemical elements; Contact angle; Electrical impedance; Electrocatalysts; Electrodes; electrolysis; Electrolytes; Energy resources; Hydrogen; hydrogen evolution reaction; Hydrogen evolution reactions; Low pressure; Metal foams; Nickel; Oxygen plasma; Plasma; Plasma processing; Plasmas (physics); Renewable resources; Ruthenium; ruthenium (Ru); Scanning electron microscopy; Sulfuric acid; Voltammetry; United States > US; Taiwan; electrolysis; ruthenium (Ru); plasma; catalyst; hydrogen evolution reaction
• ISSN: 1996-1944; 1996-1944
• DOI: 10.3390/ma15072603

In this paper, low-pressure 95%Ar-5%H
, pure Ar, and 95%Ar-5%O
plasmas were used for post-treatment of ruthenium (Ru) deposited on nickel foam (NF) (Ru/NF). Ru/NF was then tested as a catalyst for a hydrogen evolution reaction. Significant improvement in electrocatalytic activity with the lowest overpotential and Tafel slope was observed in an alkaline electrolyte (1 M KOH) with 95%Ar-5%O
plasma processing on Ru/NF. Linear scanning electrical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and cyclic voltammetry (CV) also indicate the lowest interfacial impedance and largest electrical double layer capacitance. Experimental results with 0.1 M phosphate buffered saline (PBS) and 0.5 M H
SO
electrolytes were also demonstrated and compared.