Effect of cathodic hydrogen charging on catalytic activity of Cu–Hf amorphous alloys Original Research Article

Hydrogen charging of Cu65Hf35 and Cu61Hf39 amorphous alloy (AA) ribbons at i=−1 mA/cm2 in an alkaline solution (0.1 M NaOH) was used to study the effect of hydrogenation on the processes of morphology and crystallization. A similar procedure was applied in an acid solution (0.1 M H2SO4) to introduce more hydrogen to bring about more pronounced morphological and structural changes. The samples were then catalytically tested for dehydrogenation of 2-propanol. Catalytic activity increased up to 88% at selectivities to acetone of about 95%. The structural, chemical, and morphological changes were followed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and X-ray electron probe microanalysis (WDS). The hydrogen content was determined by elemental analysis, or by gas extraction.