Accurate Coulometric Quantification of Hydrogen Absorption in Palladium Nanoparticles and Thin Films

We report here an electrochemical method for the precise and accurate quantification of hydrogen absorption into palladium materials with the use of an electrochemical flow cell. Chronocoulometry is used to quantify the desorption of hydrogen absorbed in palladium with the electrolyte flowing past the sample to prevent the concurrent hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR). The HOR can render this coulometric technique inaccurate is not accounted for properly. Performing the electrochemistry measurements in a flow cell improves the accuracy of quantifying the amount of hydrogen absorbed with much higher levels of reproducibility. This absorption quantification technique represents an easily accessible and fast method that can be used for thin films and nanoparticle samples.

• General Science