Electrocatalysis induced by surface-modification with Pd through sol–gel method for Ti33V20Cr47 alloy

A body-centered-cubic (bcc) phase Ti33V20Cr47 alloy surface-modified with Pd particles was prepared through sol–gel method. The composite showed significantly improved electrochemical hydrogen release capacities, reaching 225 mAh g−1 at a discharge current of 60 mA g−1 at 293 K in the second cycle. Such a large capacity could be attributed to the contribution of catalysis of Pd particles, which induced the Ti33V20Cr47 alloy to release hydrogen more easily. These results provide a new approach to wide applications of Ti–V-based bcc phase alloys in high-energy batteries.