Fabrication of nitrogen-doped quenched-produced diamond electrodes on titanium substrates by coaxial arc plasma deposition

Nitrogen-doped quenched-produced diamond (N-doped Q-dia) thin films were deposited onto a titanium substrate by coaxial arc plasma deposition (CAPD). The N-doped Q-dia thin film was successfully synthesized at room temperature without peeling. Its performance as an electrode material in aqueous solutions was investigated. The overpotential for the hydrogen evolution reaction was 0.35 V higher than the conventional boron-doped diamond (BDD) electrode. The kinetics of reversible electron transfer for redox species were comparable to the BDD electrode. We have demonstrated the N-doped Q-dia thin films have promising potential as a competitive and alternative electrode material to BDD films for electrochemical applications.