| title: | The electrocatalytic reactions of hydrogen on nickel |
|---|---|
| reg no: | ETF6505 |
| project type: | Estonian Science Foundation research grant |
| status: | accepted |
| institution: | University of Tartu |
| head of project: | Jüri Tamm |
| duration: | 01.01.2005 - 31.12.2007 |
| description: | The main goal of the project is to elucidate the general regularities of the cathodic hydrogen evolution and the anodic ionization of hydrogen on nickel. These processes are very important for the theory of electrochemical kinetics and especially in the practical point of view of the hydrogen energetics. As the adsorbed atomic hydrogen is the intermediate product in the both processes the factors influencing the adsorption of hydrogen have a significant influence on the rate of these processes on nickel. Different electrochemical methods (voltamperometry, chronopotentiometry, chronoamperometry, electrochemical impedance, rotating disc electrode) will be used in the present work for the investigation of the cathodic evolution and ionization of molecular hydrogen, the degree of coverage of the surface of nickel with adsorbed atomic hydrogen and the dependence of these processes on the energetic properties of the nickel surface. Investigations will be carried out on nickel of very different energetic and structural properties (monicrystalline, polycrystalline, galvanically deposited compact and nanostructural nickel, alloys of nickel with other transition metals). The structure of the nickel electrode surface will be characterized by means of SEM, AFM and STM. One of the essential objectives of the investigations of the structure of nickel surface is to elucidate the influence of the surface structure on the regularities of electrochemical processes and to estimate to what extent the structure of the surface changes during the electrochemical processes on it. The results of the investigations will make it possible to understand more deeply the hyrogen processes on nickel and to increase the electrocatalytical activity and stability of nickel electrodes used both in electrolysers and in fuel cells. |
| project group | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| no | name | institution | position | |
| 1. | Jaak Arold | University of Tartu | Ph.D student | |
| 2. | Jüri Tamm | University of Tartu | researcher | |
| 3. | Lembi Tamm | University of Tartu | associated professor (docent) | |