Novel Pt-Ni Electrocatalyst for Coal Electrolysis for Hydrogen Production

Carbon fiber-supported Pi-Ni binary alloy electrocatalyst (Pi-Ni/CFs) with different nickel contents is synthesized using impregnation-hydrogen reduction method for coal electrolysis to produce hydrogen. The electrode based on the Pt-Ni/CFs is characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM) with energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (EDS) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The results indicate Pt-Ni alloy formed on the CFs. Electrochemical results show that Pt-Ni/CFs have higher electrocatalytic activity than pure Pt/CFs, with Pt-Ni/CFs (1:1) electrode exhibiting the best performance. Compared with the pure Pt/CFs, the efficiency of coal electrolysis for hydrogen production is increased by 13.8% with Pt-Ni/CFs (1:1). The improved performance of Pt-Ni/CFs is attributed to the modification of surface electronic properties due to metallic alloying.