Electrodeposition of NiCu bimetal on 3D printed electrodes for hydrogen evolution reactions in alkaline media

In this study, hydrogen evolution electrodes are prepared by a 3D printing method using conductive PLA filament. To improve their conductivity and electrochemical performance, Nickel-Copper (NiCu) binary coating is deposited on 3D printed (3DP) electrodes in a solution bath with different volume ratios. Electrodes have been prepared as NixCux, NixCu2x, and NixCu3x according to Ni and Cu volume ratio (Ni-Cu; 10-10, 10-20, and 10 -30 mL, respectively). Surface morphologies of the samples are measured using FE-SEM, EDX and XRD techniques. Electrochemical characterizations are investigated by LSV, CV and EIS. According to the results, the current density of NiCu coated 3DP electrodes is higher than the uncoated 3DP electrode. The results show that the resistance values of the electrodes are decreased from 0.262 kU to 0.187 kU in NixCu3x electrode. (c) 2021 Hydrogen Energy Publications LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.