Fabrication and Electrocatalytic Activity of Hierarchically Nanoporous Pd-HSiO1.5/Ni-Co Composite Electrode for Hydrogen Evolution

Hierarchically nanoporous Pd-HSiO1.5 particles were prepared by dissolving template method. The particles were analyzed by transmission electron microscope (TEM), nitrogen adsorption stripping curves, Barrett-Joyner-Halenda (BJH) pore size distribution curves and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR). Hierarchically nanoporous Pd-HSiO1.5/Ni-Co composite electrodes were fabricated by the method of composite eletrodeposition using hierarchically nanoporous Pd-HSiO(1.5)particles as composite nanoparticles. The electrocatalytic activities for hydrogen evolution of the Ni-Co alloy electrodes and hierarchically nanoporous Pd-HSiO1.5/Ni-Co composite electrodes were studied. Results showed that the specific surface area and pore volume of nano-hierarchical porous silicon hydrogen compound particles were 896 m(2)/g and 1.30 cm(3)/g respectively, the size of the hollow spheres was about 70 nm, and the thickness of the spherical shell was about 10 nm. In addition, the precious metal Pd was successfully loaded on the inside and surface of the hierarchically nanoporous silicon hydrogen compound. The size of the inside Pd nanoparticles was about 3 nm, and the size of superficial Pd nanoparticles was 10-30 nm. The electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution performance of hierarchically nanoporous Pd-HSiO1.5/Ni-Co composite electrodes was superior than that of Ni-Co alloy electrode, and the electrocatalytic activities of Pd-HSiO1.5/Ni-Co composite electrodes for hydrogen evolution reached the optimal value when the concentration of hierarchically nanoporous Pd-HSiO1.5 particles was 1.8 g/L.