Copper silicon supported on carbon nanotube for hydrogen evolution reaction

• Main Author: Kapur, Bimaljit Singh
• Other Authors: Alex Yan Qingyu
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2016
• Subjects: DRNTU::Engineering
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/66440
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

The switch to platinum-free catalysis used in hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) has attracted significant attention over the years as a cost effective approach beneficial for hydrogen production. In this study, amine and carboxylic functionalised carbon nanotubes (FCNTS) were compared when doped with copper. They were synthesized by first coating with silicon dioxide (SiO2). This was when core-shell nanowires were introduced and acted as the substrate for the further growth of uniform copper silicon (Cu3Si) nanoneedles. The obtained functionalised CNTs were compared based on their capabilities in exhibiting positive catalytic activity in HER mechanism. After carrying out numerous characterization techniques, it showed that cu-carboxylic CNTs exhibited higher catalytic activities in terms of yielding better onset potentials as compared to undoped carbon nanotubes, which saw an improvement of up to 0.8V to a recorded -0.24V. Additionally this included better cycling performances and having consistent electrochemical stability. These superior characteristics may be attributed to the electronegativity of oxygen that is present in cu-carboxylic CNTs, which has a significantly larger electronegative value allowing for the increase in the hydrogen production compared to nitrogen that is present in cu-amine CNTs.