Enhancement of Hydrogen Evolution Reaction on Pt-Co Layer Deposited on Copper

Hydrogen is still considered an excellent energy carrier and fuel of the future, since in the combustion process only water is produced, without carbon dioxide. Whereas, water splitting by electrolysis is indeed a green procedure for hydrogen production, the research on hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is focused especially on the catalytic activity of cathodic materials. In this paper, Pt-Co alloy deposition on copper substrate as catalyst for HER is presented. Pt-Co alloy has been obtained using pulsed plating current technique in order to achieve a uniform dispersion of Pt-Co particles onto the metal surface. Morphological and structural characterization of the obtained layers has been carried out by scanning electron microscopy and XR diffractometry. Electrochemical behaviour and stability of the electrocatalytic Pt-Co layers has been emphasised by cyclic voltammetry. Further, kinetic parameters for cathodic HER have been determined by Tafel plots method in alkaline solutions. Exchange current density io, as well as cathodic transfer coefficient 1-α, revealed an increased catalytic activity in the temperature range of 25 - 65°C.