Synthesis and characterization of NiFe2O4 electrocatalyst for the hydrogen evolution reaction in alkaline water electrolysis using different polymer binders

NiFe2O4 electrocatalyst for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) has been synthesized using the co-precipitation method of the respective metal ions from water solution. After calcination of the precipitate, the resulting electrocatalyst was characterized by a broad range of techniques to obtain information on its crystallographic structure, specific surface area, morphology and chemical composition. The electrocatalytic activity towards HER in alkaline water electrolysis was investigated by means of linear sweep voltammetry. The catalyst showed promising electrocatalytic properties. Subsequently three types of binders were used to prepare a cathode catalytic layer based on a catalyst synthesized on top of a nickel foam support, namely an anion-selective quaternized poly(phenylene oxide) (qPPO) ionomer, an electroneutral polymer polytetrafluoroethylene and cation-selective Nafion®. The resulting membrane-electrode assemblies (MEAs), based on an anion-selective membrane, were tested in an alkaline water electrolyzer. In a single-cell test the MEA with a qPPO ionomer exhibited higher HER activity compared to the remaining binders tested. The current density obtained using a MEA containing qPPO binder attained a value of 125 mA cm−2 at a cell voltage of 1.85 V. The stability of the MEA containing qPPO binder was examined by continuous operation for 143 h, followed by 55 h intermittent electrolysis.