engleski

Electrolytic hydrogen evolution kinetics: Relation to the electronic properties of the Zr-Ni metallic glasses

The varying contents of early-late (hypo-hyper-d-electronic) transition metals in the alloy, change its electronic structure by changing the density of electronic states and the share of each element's valence band at the Fermi energy level, E_F, of the alloy. This flexibility allows the tailoring of alloys according to the requirements of a given application: alloy modifying leads to an optimal electronic structure and thereby tends to improve the electrocatalytic activity for the hydrogen evolution reaction (h.e.r.) or hydride formation (hydrogen storage) properties. The catalytic activity for the h.e.r. can be directly related to the relative contribution of the density of states at E_F in two investigated amorphous Zr_1-y Ni_y alloys, with y = 33 and y = 60. A faster increase of catalytic properties with increasing y in the Zr-Ni system is associated with a similarly rapid decrease of Zr-4d density of states at E_F. The highest catalytic activity could be expected for y = 65, when a minimum density of Zr 4d states at E_F is observed.

Zr-Ni amorphous alloys; electrocatalysis; hydrogen evolution; electronic structure

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