Real surface area, electrodeposition

Variants of preparation have been proposed [135, 248] including sintering [391] or co-electrodeposition of the precursors [138, 407], and aluminization of the surface of Ni at high temperature whose nature has a definite effect on the resulting electrocatalytic activity [408]. The main features of Raney Ni have been evaluated, including the pore size distribution and the real surface area [93, 135]. It has been found that the composition of the precursor alloys and their particle size have important influence on the adsorption properties of the resulting Raney metal, hence on its electrocatalytic properties [409]. 

Comparing polarization curves (/tot) recorded onto GC and Co electrodes (Fig. 2.35) one can see that the electrodeposition process onto Co electrode commences at more positive potentials, while the current density of the second inflection point, as well as the current density at potentials more negative than that point, is smaller. Such behavior is reasonable to expect since the overvoltage for Co electrodeposition should be higher for GC than for Co electrodes, while at the same time the increase of the real surface area onto Co... 

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