Fabrication of Structured Nickel Electrodes With Tailored Wettability and Enhanced Electrochemical Active Surface Area for Alkaline Water Electrolysis Using Direct Laser Interference Patterning

High‐efficiency alkaline hydrogen evolution requires electrodes with tailored surface properties that improve electrolyte accessibility and gas release. In this work, Direct Laser Interference Patterning is applied to produce periodic, line‐like microstructures on nickel electrodes. Using a picosecond pulsed laser with a wavelength λ = 1064 nm and a pulse duration of τ = 70 ps, patterns with a spatial period of 5.4 μm are fabricated on the nickel surface. The surface topography is characterized using white light interferometry and scanning electron microscopy, revealing texture depths up to 2.23 ± 0.41 µm. Wettability analysis on the laser‐treated samples exhibits a progressive transition toward superhydrophilic behavior. Additionally, electrochemical characterization by cyclic voltammetry demonstrates a significant enhancement of the electrochemically active surface area due to the increased surface roughness. These analyses are performed both under ambient conditions at 22°C and at an elevated temperature of 60°C. Compared to unstructured electrodes, the electrochemically active surface is enhanced by a factor of 4.7 at 22°C and 8.2 at 60°C. These findings highlight the potential of laser‐structured nickel electrodes for advancing scalable and efficient gas evolution reactions.

Authors

Institutions

Publication Details

Journal
Small Structures
Published
2025-12-31
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1002/sstr.202500763
Primary Topic
Electrocatalysts for Energy Conversion
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
article

Fabrication of Structured Nickel Electrodes With Tailored Wettability and Enhanced Electrochemical Active Surface Area for Alkaline Water Electrolysis Using Direct Laser Interference Patterning

Robert Baumann, Monika Marzec, Mayla Selene Barrientos, Marcelo Sallese et al.
Small Structures
Electrocatalysts for Energy Conversion
article

Fabrication of Structured Nickel Electrodes With Tailored Wettability and Enhanced Electrochemical Active Surface Area for Alkaline Water Electrolysis Using Direct Laser Interference Patterning

Robert Baumann, Monika Marzec, Mayla Selene Barrientos, Marcelo Sallese, Andrés Fabián Lasagni, Lis Geraldine Zschach
article en

Abstract

High‐efficiency alkaline hydrogen evolution requires electrodes with tailored surface properties that improve electrolyte accessibility and gas release. In this work, Direct Laser Interference Patterning is applied to produce periodic, line‐like microstructures on nickel electrodes. Using a picosecond pulsed laser with a wavelength λ = 1064 nm and a pulse duration of τ = 70 ps, patterns with a spatial period of 5.4 μm are fabricated on the nickel surface. The surface topography is characterized using white light interferometry and scanning electron microscopy, revealing texture depths up to 2.23 ± 0.41 µm. Wettability analysis on the laser‐treated samples exhibits a progressive transition toward superhydrophilic behavior. Additionally, electrochemical characterization by cyclic voltammetry demonstrates a significant enhancement of the electrochemically active surface area due to the increased surface roughness. These analyses are performed both under ambient conditions at 22°C and at an elevated temperature of 60°C. Compared to unstructured electrodes, the electrochemically active surface is enhanced by a factor of 4.7 at 22°C and 8.2 at 60°C. These findings highlight the potential of laser‐structured nickel electrodes for advancing scalable and efficient gas evolution reactions.

Small StructuresVol. 7(1)
Jagiellonian University (PL), Fraunhofer Institute for Material and Beam Technology (DE), AGH University of Krakow (PL), Technische Universität Dresden (DE)
Clean water and sanitation
Openalex Percentile: Top 51%
Electrocatalysts for Energy Conversion
AI Navigator

Ask Laika to Summarize, Analyze, and Connect papers live on the map.

Summarize Papers & Methodologies

Extract key findings, datasets, and comparative methods across publications.

Benchmark Rankings & Visual Analytics

Rank top research institutions, authors, funders, topics, and journals by Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) and paper volume with instant charts.

Connect Distant Disciplines

Bridge topological clusters on the map to find hidden collaborative intersections.