Electrochemical hydrogen evolution of multi-walled carbon nanotube/micro-hybrid composite decorated with Ni nanoparticles as catalyst through electroless deposition process

•Hydrogen storage property of CNT-based composite.•Catalytic effect evaluated for Ni nanoparticles.•Surface area evaluated by chronoamperometry.•Capacity evaluated by chrono-charge/discharge technique.

Hydrogen evolution of multi-walled nanotube (MWCNT)/micro-hybrid polymer composite, decorated with Ni nanoparticles through electroless deposition process is studied by the electrochemical method. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) is utilized to clearly study the electrochemical hydrogen storage/evolution behavior of the composite through a potential window ranging from − 1.60 to + 0.60 V (vs. Ag/AgCl). Hydrogen adsorption/desorption peaks are positioned at − 1.52 and − 0.05 V, respectively. Chronoamperometry is also applied to estimate active surface area (0.145 m2 g− 1) of the composite as well as the diffusion coefficient (3.4 × 10− 11 m2 s− 1) of adsorbed hydrogen process. According to the chrono-charge/discharge technique, the capacity of fabricated Ni-MWCNT/micro-hybrid composite is estimated to be 2.98 wt.% during charging for a certain time (40 min).

Graphical abstractFigure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide