Processing and Electrochemical Property Characterization of Nanoporous Electrodes for Sustainable Energy Applications

Preparation and electrocatalytic reactions of nanoporous materials in biodegradable fluids were studied. Electrochemical etching was conducted to selectively extract metallic elements from alloys to form porous structures. Electrocatalytic properties of the porous electrodes were characterized. Comparative studies on the electrochemical activities of the nanoporous metallic electrodes with bulk metallic wire catalysts were performed. It is found that the current density at the nanoporous electrode is three times higher than that of the bulk electrode.