Electrocatalytic reduction of water clusters on binary alloys of molybdenum with iron subgroup metals in an alkaline medium

Abstract

The total reorganization energy of the system and its components, the solvent reorganization energy and the transformation energy of reactants (water clusters [(H2O)nOH]-), during electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution on binary alloys of molybdenum with iron subgroup metals (Fe, Co, Ni) in an alkaline medium (30 wt. % NaOH solution) have been calculated. The calculated values of the solvent reorganization energy and the reorganization energy of water clusters are in agreement with the Marcus – Dogonadze – Kuznetsov theory. The dependence of the total reorganization energy of the system, the solvent reorganization energy, and the reorganization energy of discharging species (water clusters) on the electrolyte temperature has been calculated. It was shown that the total reorganization energy of the system and the activation energy of the electron-transfer reaction of electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution (HER) on binary alloys of molybdenum with iron subgroup metals in an alcaline vedium (30 wt. % NaOH solution) decrease linearly with increasing electrolyte temperature in the following order: Fe-54 at. % Mo > Ni-54 at. % Mo > Co-52 at. % Mo. The temperature dependences of the water cluster discharge reorganization energy and the activation energy on binary molybdenum alloys are linear and intersect in the boiling point region of 30 wt. % NaOH solution 384.7 K. At this temperature, the electrode process is limited by the diffusion of regenerating water clusters to the electrode surface. The calculated diffusion activation energy Ad is 9.9 kJ·mol–1. The value of the system reorganization energy lt is 39.8 kJ·mol–1, which is consistent with the theory of Markus – Dogonadze – Kuznetsov. Electrocatalytic activity of binary alloys of molybdenum with iron subgroup m