Uniform palladium-nickel nanowires arrays for stable hydrogen leakage detection and efficient hydrogen evolution reaction

As a high-energy-density, renewable and green energy carrier, hydrogen has recently received increasing attention. However, the reliable detection for hydrogen leakage, especially in harsh environmental conditions, and the efficient high-purity hydrogen production are still challenging issues. Here, we report that uniform palladium-nickel nanowires (PdNi NWs) arrays, which have been synthesized via anode-aluminum-oxide (AAO) template-confined electrodeposition as bi-functional material for hydrogen leakage detection and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). PdNi NWs arrays exhibit rough surface with the diameter of similar to 60 nm and present alloyed crystallization. Benefited from the synergic effect of the rough surface of PdNi NWs etched during synthesis and the electronic structure of Pd modified by Ni, PdNi NWs enable to stably work within the wide temperature range of 153-388 K, in which the Pd-Ni alloying decreases the critical temperature of "reverse sensing behavior" to 153 K. Meanwhile, the PdNi NWs show the overpotential of 91 mV at 10 mA/cm(2), and the Tafel slope of 96 mV/dec in 0.5 M H2SO4. The PdNi NWs show great potential in both hydrogen leakage detection and hydrogen evolution reaction.