In this work, nickel-based electrodes were prepared using a composite electrodeposition technique in a nickel bath containing suspended polyaniline (PAni) particles. The electrodes were characterized by Raman spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The catalytic activity of the composite electrodes for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) was measured by cathodic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy in KOH and KOH with 1 M sucrose at room temperature. The Ni-PAni electrodes showed a high active surface area that contributed to the increase in the current density of HER and to the decrease in overpotential value as compared to Ni electrodes. (C) 2017 Hydrogen Energy Publications LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.