Hydrogen permeability and catalytic characteristics of a palladium-silver membrane with a modified surface

Abstract

Abstract Thin films of Pd-23% Ag modified with nanostructured highly dispersed palladium by the method of electrolytic deposition have been obtained by magnetron sputtering. Electrochemical studies have demonstrated that the modified Pd-23% Ag film shows a high peak current (up to 2.15 µA cm−2) and excellent electrocatalytic activity in relation to the methanol oxidation reaction. The stability of the developed modified film is confirmed by the results of multi-scanning. Comparison of the hydrogen permeability has been demonstrated a significant increase in the hydrogen permeability of the modified membrane compared to the smooth one at an overpressure of 0.3 MPa. According to the approximation of the results obtained by a first-order line and calculations of the activation energy, which was 30.6 kJ mol−1, it can be concluded that the transport of hydrogen is limited by surface effects, namely chemisorption.