Hydrogen evolution on microstructured polypyrrole films modified with nickel

Enhancement of electrocatalytic activity of polypyrrole (PPy) for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) has been carried out by the deposition of Ni layer of different thickness. By formation of three-dimensional microcontainers on the PPy surface an increase in surface area of the PPy/Ni catalytic layer could be obtained, providing an increased overall electrocatalytic activity. The PPy/Ni layers offer a significantly higher electrocatalytic activity in the HER than PPy or Ni electrode. The best catalytic activity was detected for composite PPy/Ni electrodes produced by electrodeposition of Ni on pre-deposited microstructured PPy substrate in 2 cycles.