Construction of efficient hydrogen evolution catalyst and analysis of the influence of complexing agent type

In electrocatalytic water decomposition technology, particularly in alkaline solutions, hydrogen evolution with transition metal catalysts has received significant interest. In this study, an efficient HER electrocatalyst with nickel foam base was produced by electrodeposition. Compared with other catalysts, the synthesized CoMo@EDTA electrocatalyst showed significant electrocatalytic activity against HER in alkaline electrolytes. By changing the type of complexing agent, it is found that the overpotential is the lowest after adding EDTA-2Na in 1 mol/l NaOH solution. The overpotential of the CoMo@EDTA catalyst is 29 mV, When the current density is -10 mA/cm2, The outstanding HER performance of CoMo@EDTA electrocatalysts is mainly due to the interaction of molybdenum and cobalt and the effect of complexing agents. After the stability measurement for up to 6 h, the catalyst has a minimal overpotential loss, indicating that the catalyst has excellent stability. This work provides a useful pathway for the application of transition metals in hydrogen evolution electrocatalysts.(c) 2023 Hydrogen Energy Publications LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.