Surface structure and catalytic activity of electrodeposited Ni-Fe-Co-Mo alloy electrode by partially leaching Mo and Fe

Ni-Fe-Mo-Co alloy electrode was prepared in a citrate solution by electrodeposition, and then Mo and Fe were partially leached out from the electrode in 30% KOH solution. The unique surface micromorphology of a hive-like structure was obtained with an average pore size of about 50 nm. The electrode has a very large real surface area and a stable structure. The effects of sodium molybdate concentration on the composition, surface morphology, and structure of electrodes were analyzed by EDS, SEM and XRD. The polarization curves of the different electrodes show that the catalytic activity of electrodes is strongly correlated with the mole fraction of alloy elements (Ni, Fe, Mo, Co), and the addition of cobalt element to Ni-Fe-Mo alloy improves the catalytic activity. The Ni35.63Fe24.67Mo23.52Co16.18 electrode has the best activity for hydrogen evolution reaction(HER), with an over-potential of 66.2 mV, in 30% KOH at 80 °C and 200 mA/cm2. The alloy maintains its good catalytic activity for HER during continuous or intermittent electrolysis. Its electrochemical activity and catalytic stability are much higher than the other iron-group with Mo alloy electrodes.