Determination of kinetic parameters for water reduction on copper

In this study, the effects of temperature, solution pH, and hydrogen pressure on the kinetics of hydrogen electrode reaction (HER) have been studied by means of steady-state polarization measurements on copper in borate buffer solution. In order to obtain electrokinetic parameters, such as the exchange current density and cathodic Tafel slope, two stages of optimization have been performed. From the optimization process, the apparent activation energy (E _ac) of HER on copper was obtained as 32(kJ/mol). Moreover, the exchange current density i₀(H₂) and the cathodic transfer coefficient were obtained on copper as a function of temperature, solution pH, and hydrogen pressure.