Successive ionic layer deposition of co-doped Cu(OH)$_2$ nanorods as electrode material for electrocatalytic reforming of ethanol

In this work, a facile and cost-effective layer by layer method was proposed to synthesize novel high stable and effective electrode material based on the Co-doped Cu(OH)$_2$ nanocrystals. The crystals have orthorhombic structure and a rod-like morphology with a 23$\pm$2 nm in width and 43$\pm$4 nm in length. The composition of the nanocrystals corresponds to the 1 % Co-doped Cu(OH)$_{2}$ by EDX with no noticeable impurities as it was found by FTIR spectroscopy. It was shown that nickel electrode modified with nanorods is characterized by an overvoltage value of -347 mV at 10 mA/cm$^{2}$, which is 250 mV lower than that of an initial pure nickel electrode. The value of Tafel slope that reaches 138 mV/dec, high stability of the Co-doped Cu(OH)$_{2}$ nanorods in chronopotentiometric (10 hours) and cyclic volamperometric (500 cycles) tests allows us to consider them as a prospective basis of electrode materials for the hydrogen evolution from renewable water-alcohol sources.