Electrochemical Behavior of Ni-Mo Electrocatalyst for Water Electrolysis

Nickel-molybdenum based electrolcatalysts were synthesized in organic media for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in alkaline media. The structure, morphology, and chemical composition of the catalysts were evaluated by XRD, SEM and AAS. Results revealed nanocristalline powder materials with Ni0.006Mo, Ni0.1Mo, and NiMo compositions. The best performance for HER, was obtained on Ni0.1Mo electrode, whereas NiMo was for the OER. Results suggest that the material with 1:1 stoichiometric ratio could be considered as a promising electrocatalyst for OER. This nanocrystalline powder is formed by Ni2Mo3O8 and a crystalline structure attributed to the possible formation of a NiMo cluster, becomes NiMoO4 .after thermal treatment at 1073K in air. The NiMo 1:1 cluster catalyst presented electrochemical stability during the OER.