Abstract:

The current hydrogen economy is in a phase marked by the low rate and efficiency of the hydrogen
production from water and the energy generation by hydrogen oxidation into water. This first year
assessment explores the possibility of exploiting the change of electronical configuration due to
tensile/compressive elastic strains to improve the catalytic activity of ultrathin films of transition
metals.
In this work, ultrathin films of Au were manufactured by magneton sputtering, a technique that allows high deposition rates at low temperature, good film quality and optimum control over film composition. Different substrates (Si, Kapton and shape memory alloys) were used to optimize the deposition process and to allow the application of elastic strains through external loads or taking advantage of the properties of the shape memory alloys. The microstructure and the catalytic properties of the films with respect to the Hydrogen Evolution Reaction and Oxygen Reduction Reaction were analyzed