Method for manufacturing electrode for hydrogen production using tungsten carbide nanoflake and electrode for hydrogen production manufactured thereby

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018038003-A1
Application number	US-201715608082-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 30, 2017
Priority date	Aug 8, 2016
Publication date	Feb 8, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method for manufacturing an electrode for hydrogen production using a tungsten carbide nanoflake may include: forming a tungsten carbide nanoflake on a nanocrystalline diamond film by means of a chemical vapor deposition process in which hydrogen plasma is applied; and increasing activity of the tungsten carbide nanoflake to a hydrogen evolution reaction by removing an oxide layer or a graphene layer from a surface of the tungsten carbide nanoflake. Since an oxide layer and/or a graphene layer of a surface of tungsten carbide is removed by means of cyclic cleaning after tungsten carbide is formed, hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) activity of the tungsten carbide may be increased, thereby enhancing utilization as a catalyst electrode.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method for manufacturing an electrode for hydrogen production using a tungsten carbide nanoflake, comprising:
forming a tungsten carbide nanoflake on a nanocrystalline diamond film by means of a chemical vapor deposition process in which hydrogen plasma is applied; and increasing activity of the tungsten carbide nanoflake to a hydrogen evolution reaction by removing an oxide layer or a graphene layer from a surface of the tungsten carbide nanoflake.

2 . The method for manufacturing an electrode for hydrogen production using a tungsten carbide nanoflake according to claim 1 , wherein in the chemical vapor deposition process in which hydrogen plasma is applied, in a state where a substrate having a nanocrystalline diamond film is provided on an anode in a chamber and a surface-carburized tungsten cathode is provided at a location upwardly spaced apart from the substrate, hydrogen plasma is applied into the chamber.

3 . The method for manufacturing an electrode for hydrogen production using a tungsten carbide nanoflake according to claim 1 , wherein the step of forming a tungsten carbide nanoflake includes controlling the degree of supersaturation at a growth front of tungsten carbide so that the tungsten carbide grows to have a nanowall structure.

4 . The method for manufacturing an electrode for hydrogen production using a tungsten carbide nanoflake according to claim 3 , wherein the step of controlling the degree of supersaturation at a growth front of tungsten carbide includes controlling a flux of growth species by adjusting a process temperature of the chemical vapor deposition process in which hydrogen plasma is applied.

5 . The method for manufacturing an electrode for hydrogen production using a tungsten carbide nanoflake according to claim 3 , wherein the step of controlling the degree of supersaturation at a growth front of tungsten carbide includes controlling a flux of growth species by adjusting a discharge voltage and current which is applied for generating hydrogen plasma in the chemical vapor deposition process in which hydrogen plasma is applied.

6 . The method for manufacturing an electrode for hydrogen production using a tungsten carbide nanoflake according to claim 2 , wherein the surface-carburized tungsten cathode has a carbonization layer formed to a predetermined depth from the surface of the tungsten carbide nanoflake by exposing the tungsten cathode to a carbon environment of a predetermined temperature, and the carbonization layer forms a WC x , structure.

7 . The method for manufacturing an electrode for hydrogen production using a tungsten carbide nanoflake according to claim 1 , after the increasing activity of the tungsten carbide nanoflake to a hydrogen evolution reaction, further comprising: forming a protection film to partially cover the surface of the tungsten carbide nanoflake.

8 . An electrode for hydrogen production using a tungsten carbide nanoflake, comprising:
an electrode body comprising a nanocrystalline diamond film located on a substrate, and a tungsten carbide nanoflake located on the nanocrystalline diamond film; and a protection film configured to partially cover the electrode body.

9 . The electrode for hydrogen production using a tungsten carbide nanoflake according to claim 8 , wherein the tungsten carbide nanoflake has a two-dimensional nanostructure arranged on the nano crystalline diamond film.

10 . The electrode for hydrogen production using a tungsten carbide nanoflake according to claim 9 , wherein the tungsten carbide nanoflake has a nanowall structure.

Assignees

• Korea Inst Sci & Tech

Inventors

• Lee Wook Seong
• Ko Young Jin
• Baik Young Joon
• Park Jong Keuk
• Lee Kyeong Seok
• Kim Inho
• Jeong Doo Seok

Classifications

• C23C16/56

  After-treatment · CPC title

• C25B11/02

  characterised by shape or form · CPC title

• B82Y40/00

  Manufacture or treatment of nanostructures · CPC title

• C23C16/32 Primary

  Carbides · CPC title

• B82Y30/00

  Nanotechnology for materials or surface science, e.g. nanocomposites · CPC title