Effect of Ni Nanoparticles on HG Sheets Modified by GO on the Hydrogen Evolution Reaction

Ni-based compounds are being explored as an alternative for Pt in hydrogen evolution reactions. In this work, phenylhydrazine-4-sulfonic acid is utilized in the reduction of graphene oxide to synthesize novel hydrophilic graphene, and electrodeposition is used to synthesize Ni-HG/NF composite cathodes from a nickel sulphamate bath containing suspended sized hydrophilic graphene. The Ni-HG(0.5)/NF composite coatings reveal prominent activity on the hydrogen evolution reaction in alkaline solutions with a high exchange current density of 5.012 mA cm(-2), a low Tafel slope of 81 mV dec(-1), and small overpotentials of 30 and 140 mV to obtain current densities of 10 and 100 mA cm(-2). These results are attributed to hydrophilic reform of hydrophilic graphene, enhanced charge transfer between Ni and hydrophilic graphene, and the strong intensity of Ni(111) of Ni-HG(0.5)/NF catalyst.