AC Impedance Study of Hydrogen Oxidation and Reduction at Pd/Nafion Interface

Electrocatalytic activity of palladium for hydrogen oxidation and reduction was studied using AC impedance method. The system under study was arranged in electrolytic mode consisting of Pd electrode under study, Pt counter electrode and Nafion electrolyte between them. Two types of Pd electrodes were used - carbon-supported Pd (Pd/C) and Pd foil electrode. Pd/C anode contacting pure hydrogen showed a steady decrease of charge transfer resistance with the increase of anodic overpotential, which is an opposite trend to that found with Pd foil anode. But Pd foil cathode also exhibited a decrease of the resistance with the increase of cathodic overpotential. The relationship between imposition of overpotential and subsequent change of the charge transfer resistance is determined by the ratio of the rate of faradaic process to the rate of mass transportation; if mass transfer limitation holds, increase of overpotential accompanies the increase of charge transfer resistance. Regardless of the physical type of Pd electrode, the anode contacting hydrogen/oxygen gas mixture did not reveal any independent arc originated from local anodic oxygen reduction.