International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, Vol.23, No.12, 1157-1164, 1998
The surface processes at Pd-Ni alloy in acid and alkaline solutions
Potentiodynamic studies of surface processes at Pd-Ni electrode are made, in which the state of electrodeposited H and the nature of surface:oxidation processes are investigated. In the anodic region of a potentiodynamic sweep at Pd-Ni electrodeposited alloy, processes of H ionization and the beginning of surface oxidation occur over somewhat overlapping potential range, since the onset of these processes are potentially different than that thermodynamically expected, owing to the irreversibility in the processes. In experiments at various sweep rates in acid and alkaline solutions some processes which involve diffusion are indicated. In acid solution, the first anodic peak is connected with oxidation of absorbed hydrogen and its diffusion to the surface of the electrode from the interior. In alkaline solution, the first anodic peak is attributed to the surface oxidation, but j(p,a) is not linear with the sweep rate, as for a surface process with a characteristic pseudocapacitance potential profile, but with the v(1/2) characteristic of a diffusion controlled process. It is presumably made from the bulk proton diffusion that comes from the anodic oxidation of M(OH)(2) to MOOH.
Keywords:HYDROGEN-EVOLUTION REACTION;NICKEL-HYDROXIDE ELECTRODE;CIRCUIT POTENTIAL-DECAY;ELECTROCHEMICAL-BEHAVIOR;H-ABSORPTION;PALLADIUM;CATHODES;KINETICS;MEDIA;AREA