Three steps in the anode reaction of the polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell. Effect of CO

We studied the influence of CO poisoning of the anode in the polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The anode impedance was found by first feeding neat hydrogen gas and next hydrogen with CO into one of the electrodes, keeping neat hydrogen gas on the other electrode as a reference. The electrodes were E-TEK Elat gas-diffusion electrodes with 0.5 mg Pt/cm², and the membrane was Nafion^® 117. The CO concentration was 103 ppm, and the total pressures were 1, 2.5 and 4 bar. Operating temperatures were kept constant, 30.0 °C or 50.0 ± 0.1 °C. Bias voltages of 0 and 0.05 V were used. Three steps were revealed in the reaction mechanism, the slow adsorption/diffusion step, the charge transfer step and the proton hydration step, confirming earlier results. Carbon monoxide affects the charge transfer step by blocking active sites and by affecting the surface polarisation. We further conclude that CO adsorbs to the porous carbon matrix, and reduces significantly the rate of surface diffusion of hydrogen to the surface.     

Scanning electrochemical microscopy of hydrogen electro-oxidation. Rate constant measurements and carbon monoxide poisoning on platinum

We describe an application of the scanning electrochemical microscope that uses tip–sample feedback to characterize the electro-oxidation of hydrogen on a polycrystalline platinum electrode in sulfuric acid solutions in the presence and absence of adsorbed carbon monoxide. The hydrogen oxidation reaction is probed by reducing protons at a diffusion-limited rate at the microscope's tip electrode while it is positioned near a platinum substrate. A series of approach curves measured as a function of the substrate potential provides hydrogen oxidation rate constant values over a wide range of substrate conditions. In the absence of CO, the rate of hydrogen oxidation exceeds 1 cm s⁻¹ at potentials within the hydrogen adsorption and double layer charging regions. A Tafel slope of 30 mV per decade is determined near the reversible potential. At increasingly positive substrate potentials, the hydrogen oxidation rate decreases exponentially with increasing potential as the surface is covered with an oxide layer. The adsorption of solution-phase carbon monoxide completely deactivates the platinum substrate towards steady-state hydrogen oxidation over a large range of substrate potentials. Approach curves indicate a near-zero rate constant for hydrogen oxidation on CO-covered platinum at potentials below oxide formation. An increase in the hydrogen oxidation rate is seen at potentials sufficiently positive that CO fails to adsorb and the platinum oxide forms. In comparison, dynamic tip–substrate voltammetry depicts a complex substrate response whereby the adsorbed carbon monoxide layer transforms from a weakly adsorbed state at low potentials to a strongly adsorbed state at high potentials. Although steady-state approach curve measurements depict the complete deactivation of catalytic activity at these potentials, a significant hydrogen oxidation current is observed during the potential-induced transformation between these weakly and strongly adsorbed CO states. The rate of hydrogen oxidation approaches that of a pristine platinum surface during this surface transformation before returning to the poisoned state.     

Pt nanoparticles/graphene paste electrode for sodium borohydride electrooxidation

The graphene paste electrode (GPE), modified with platinum nanoparticles (NPt), is fabricated and characterized by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry. Borohydride electrooxidation and hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) are investigated by cyclic voltammetry at surface of the fabricated electrode. Linear sweep voltammetry of NPt/GPE and NPt/carbon paste electrode in different concentrations of borohydride was studied. Results demonstrate good conductivity and electrocatalytic activity of NPt/GPE toward borohydride electrooxidation and HER. The morphology of platinum nanoparticles is studied by atomic force microscopy.     

Single-wall carbon nanotube-based proton exchange membrane assembly for hydrogen fuel cells

A membrane electrode assembly (MEA) for hydrogen fuel cells has been fabricated using single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) support and platinum catalyst. Films of SWCNTs and commercial platinum (Pt) black were sequentially cast on a carbon fiber electrode (CFE) using a simple electrophoretic deposition procedure. Scanning electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy showed that the nanotubes and the platinum retained their nanostructure morphology on the carbon fiber surface. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) revealed that the carbon nanotube-based electrodes exhibited an order of magnitude lower charge-transfer reaction resistance (R(ct)) for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) than did the commercial carbon black (CB)-based electrodes. The proton exchange membrane (PEM) assembly fabricated using the CFE/SWCNT/Pt electrodes was evaluated using a fuel cell testing unit operating with H(2) and O(2) as input fuels at 25 and 60 degrees C. The maximum power density obtained using CFE/SWCNT/Pt electrodes as both the anode and the cathode was approximately 20% better than that using the CFE/CB/Pt electrodes.     

玻碳电极界面的阻抗谱数学表达及定量分析

玻碳电极（GCE）是各类电化学传感器常用的基础电极,其界面特征直接影响检测性能。本文详细考察了电极体系的电化学过程,针对GCE传感界面,探讨了一个等效电路中电解质电阻、电荷输运电阻、扩散阻抗、电化学（氧化/还原）反应阻抗、表面吸附阻抗和双电层电容等电学元件的物理意义,并给出了对应的数学模型。通过改变模型中5个参数值,模拟了不同状态下的阻抗谱,分析了电极系统各参数对GCE阻抗谱的贡献规律。最后,采用该数学模型对裸GCE和修饰GCE在铁氰化钾溶液中的阻抗谱进行分析,拟合结果与实验数据吻合度高;基于拟合获得参数,定量对比分析了修饰前后电极表面的特征变化。     

La0.8Sr0.2MnO3／YSZ高温电极交流阻抗研究

用交流阻抗方法研究了Ｌａ０．８Ｓｒ０．２ＭｎＯ３电极上进行的氧化电化学还原反应。实验表明反应速度控制步骤随反应温度，氧分压及过电位发生显著变化，近平衡下反应的ｒｄｓ为氧的解离吸附过程。强阳极极化下，电解质表面产生大量电子空穴；强阴极极化下，ＬＳＭ电极表面形成大量氧空位，二者的结果均使界面电导增加，电化学反应区扩展。     

Influence of chemisorbed carbon monoxide on the oxidation of molecular hydrogen at smooth platinum in sulfuric acid solution

Potentiostatic current—potential curves of hydrogen oxidation were measured at 0.5 mV s^?1 on two smooth platinum electrodes of different shape in the presence of various coverages with chemisorbed carbon monoxide in 0.5 M H₂SO₄, stirred with molecular hydrogen at 1 cm³ s^?1. Carbon monoxide coverages up to 0.6 have a small influence. The hydrogen oxidation remains controlled by convective diffusion of molecular hydrogen. Above coverages of 0.6, a kinetic step becomes increasingly predominant. The effect of chemisorbed carbon monoxide on the H₂ oxidation is similar to that on hydrogen adsorption, studied previously. The correlation between the rate of the kinetic step and the free energy of hydrogen adsorption in the Temkin model of the surface is established and discussed.     

Comparative study of carbon monoxide adsorption and oxidation of the chemisorbed species at smooth and platinized platinum electrodes

The adsorption of carbon monoxide and the anodic oxidation of the chemisorbed species were investigated at room temperature under the same experimental conditions on foils of smooth and platinized platinum for which hydrogen adsorption is very similar. Both the weakly and strongly bonded species (type II and type I species) were formed to the same extent on the two electrodes in acidic electrolytes. While the freshly platinized platinum electrode behaved like the smooth electrode with predominance of the one-site adsorption of CO, the aging of the platinized electrode led to an increase of the two-site adsorption. The oxidation rate of strongly bonded species at constant potential decreased when the extent of two-site adsorption increased. The electrochemical results are discussed in the light of recent work in the gas phase.     

甲苯-乙醇介质中二茂铁催化分解过氧化氢机理的探讨

甲苯-乙醇介质中二茂铁催化分解过氧化氢机理的探讨;电子转移机理     

Electrocatalytic and adsorption properties of platinum microparticles electrodeposited onto glassy carbon and into Nafion® films

A comparative investigation of electrocatalytic and adsorption properties of platinum microparticles electrodeposited onto a glassy carbon surface (Pt/GC) and within a thin Nafion® film formed on a GC electrode (Pt/Nf/GC) is described. As test reaction the methanol oxidation in sulfuric acid solutions is used. Dependences of the steady-state specific reaction rates upon potential and methanol concentration were established, as well as those of the platinum surface coverage with methanol chemisorption products upon concentration. It was shown that at higher platinum loadings (above 60 μg cm⁻²) the specific activities of Pt/GC and Pt/Nf/GC are nearly the same and close to that of smooth platinum. At such loadings the surface coverage of the platinum deposit surface with organic particles does not differ from that of smooth platinum. At very low platinum loadings in the polymeric matrix (10–30 μg cm⁻²) a considerable decrease in the adsorption of strongly chemisorbed methanol particles is observed. These deposits are characterized by a low specific activity, which may be caused by the decrease of the platinum particle’s size, leading to a decrease in the amount of weakly bound methanol particles participating in the limiting reaction step.     

Ultradisperse catalytic layers supported by nanotubes and poly(diallyldimethylammonium)chloride polymer

A catalytic system consisting of carbon nanotubes, poly(diallyldimethylammonium)chloride, and a very thin layer of platinum or platinum-ruthenium is assembled layer-by-layer (LbL) on a glassy carbon (GC) electrode. Deposits of platinum metals are studied by electrochemical methods, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES). Such catalyst layers are shown to exhibit much higher activity in the methanol oxidation reaction as compared with commercial and electroplated catalysts. The currents compared are calculated per the surface area of deposited metals determined with respect to hydrogen adsorption.     

Effect of oxidation treatment of multi-walled carbon nanotubes on the adsorption of pentachlorophenol from aqueous solution: Kinetics study

Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were oxidized using different oxidizing agents and the produced oxidized MWCNTs were characterized using different techniques. IR measurements showed the presence of carboxylic acid function groups especially for the MWCNTs oxidized with nitric acid and hydrogen peroxide. The adsorption of pentachlorophenol (PCP) to pristine and oxidized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) has been studied. The results showed that the oxidation of the MWCNTs decreased their abilities to adsorb PCP compared with the pristine MWCNTs. The adsorption was studied kinetically and the results showed that the adsorption process occurs in two different steps. The first step involves the transfer of PCP to the surface of the oxidized MWCNTs, which was very fast due to the diffusion of PCP from the liquid phase to the solid phase. This step followed by a second slower step of adsorption could be due to intra-particle diffusion.     

Mechanism of adsorption,electroreduction and hydrogenation of compounds with ethylenic bonds on platinum and rhodium: Part II. Comparison of the electroreduction and catalytic hydrogenation processes

The catalytic liquid-phase hydrogenation of maleic acid on platinum and rhodium has been investigated. It is shown that the rate-determining step of this process as well as of the electroreduction process of maleic acid is the interaction of the chemisorbed particle of maleic acid with the adsorbed hydrogen which is formed at the preceding rapid stage of either the dissociative adsorption of molecular hydrogen, or the electrochemical stage of hydrogen ion discharge. The rate of the process with the same degree of surface coverage with hydrogen and chemisorbed particles of maleic acid does not depend on whether the process is carried out catalytically or electrochemically, on whether maleic acid and hydrogen were preliminarily adsorbed on the surface of the electrode-catalyst or not. With due regard for the mutual influence of chemisorbed particles participating in the rate-determining stage, the main kinetic equations for the electroreduction and catalytic hydrogenation processes have been derived. The difference in the rates of electroreduction of maleic acid on platinum and rhodium, with the same degree of electrode surface coverage with reactants, is shown to be the result of differences in the adsorption heats (or bonding strength with the surface) of hydrogen and maleic acid on these two metals. Experimental procedures are described in Part I [1].     

The effects of abrasive particles on the electrochemical behavior of adrenaline at different electrodes

Cyclic voltammetry (CV), double-potential step chronocoulometry (DPSCC), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) techniques have been performed to study the effects of abrasive particles on the electrochemical reaction of adrenaline at glassy carbon electrode (GCE) and platinum electrode in 0.5 mol/L H₂SO₄ solution. For the electrochemical reaction of adrenaline, it was shown that abrasive particles have a more marked electrocatalytic effect at GCE compared to that at platinum electrode. The electrocatalytic effect of SiC coated GCE is more obvious comparing to that of Al₂O₃ coated GCE. With the coarse degree of the abrasive paper increasing, the peak current (i _p) increases significantly and the peak-to-peak potential separation (ΔE _p) changes a little at the pretreated GCE. The electron transfer process of adrenaline at the different pretreated GCE is controlled by the diffusion in this system.     

Kinetics of Adsorption of Neutral Molecules from a Thin Layer on a Rough Electrode

A theoretical model for the generalized finite adsorption impedance of a rough electrode is offered. A complex function of the roughness of the electrode surface is introduced and its frequency dependence is studied. The frequency characteristics of constituents of the adsorption impedance are shown to depend on the electrode roughness and the diffusion layer thickness. The frequency dependences of the phase angle and impedance components are found to considerably differ from the Frumkin–Melik-Gaikazyan result for an ideal smooth electrode.     

Electrocatalysis of the SiC Particle‐Modified Glassy Carbon Electrode for the Oxidation of Adrenaline

The electrocatalytic properties of the SiC particle‐modified glassy carbon electrode (MGC) for adrenaline oxidation were studied by cyclic voltammetry (CV), double‐potential step chronocoulometry (DPSCC), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) techniques in McIlvaine buffer solution. It was shown that the electrode modified with SiC particles markedly displayed an electrocatalytic effect on the process of the electrochemical reaction of adrenaline, i.e., the activity and the reversibility of the MGC electrode has been significantly improved. This was attributed to the adsorption effect of the electroactive adrenaline molecules on the MGC electrode surface.     

Size-controlled synthesis of colloidal platinum nanoparticles and their activity for the electrocatalytic oxidation of carbon monoxide

Using polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) as a stabilizing agent, stable colloidal solutions of platinum nanoparticles of different size distributions have been prepared by reducing H2PtCl6 with hydrogen. The UV-vis adsorption peaks at 258 nm due to the adsorption of Pt(IV) species disappear completely, indicating that the Pt(IV) species has been used up and colloidal Pt has been formed. The electrodes have been prepared from aqueous Pt colloids and glassy carbon (GC). The effect of platinum particle size of Pt/GC catalyst electrode on the electrocatalytic oxidation of carbon monoxide has been investigated. The voltammetry shows that a higher potential is needed for the oxidation of absorbed carbon monoxide with a decrease of the platinum particle size for particle sizes larger than 1 nm. But for particle sizes smaller than 1 nm, the potential remains constant while the activity decreases with decreasing the size. The snowlike, well-dispersed, and highly ordered platinum nanoparticles demonstrate high activity in the oxidation reaction of carbon monoxide. The reason may be due to the geometric structure of platinum nanoparticles.     

Electrode reactions of tungstate ions in the presence of carbon monoxide

Tungstate ions may be reversibly reduced at platinum, rhodium and mercury electrodes in phosphoric acid according to the reaction WO₄^2-+e^- ? WO₄^3-. The specific rate constants (k_s) on Pt, Rh and Hg are 1.2.10^-2, 7.0.10^-3, and 6.5.10^-4 cm/sec, respectively. In the presence of carbon monoxide, hydrogen evolution at Pt and Rh is blocked while the electron transfer for tungstate reduction is unhindered. This is used as a criterion for a surface dissociation or recombination step in an electrochemical reaction. Two methods may be used with platinum or rhodium electrodes for the determination of tungstate, either rotating the electrode at a constant speed and measuring the diffusion current, or measuring the reduction peak height at a constant potential scan rate.     

A simple Maxwell-Wagner-Butler-Volmer approach to the impedance of the hydrogen electrode in a nafion fuel cell

A simple one-dimensional model of the impedance of a hydrogen/Nafion electrode is set up combining the usual Maxwell-Wagner approach for linear, homogeneous, and isotropic media with the linearized Butler-Volmer equation for the interfacial, electrochemical reaction. Only one relaxation semicircle is normally seen in the Nyquist diagram, but a low-frequency arc may appear at high overvoltages. The model is described by only two dimensionless parameters (in addition to the dimensionless frequency). These parameters are related to the double-layer capacitance and to the interfacial electrochemical reaction rate, respectively. With some adjustments, the model can be used to explain the observed equilibrium impedance from 40 to 70 degrees C of a symmetric cell of the type C/Pt/H(2)|Nafion 117/H(2)/Pt/C. The hydrogen electrodes in this cell were built up as a disperse multiphase region (carbon, platinum grains, Nafion 117, and hydrogen gas) as commonly done in solid polymer fuel cells.