Electrochemical nanogravimetric studies of platinum in acid media

Electrochemical quartz crystal nanobalance (EQCN) is one of the most powerful tools to obtain information on the events occurring at the electrode surface. This method has been exploited to monitor the surface mass changes and hence to draw conclusions in respect of the formation and removal of adsorbed species and oxides as well as changes in the electrochemical double layer also in the case of platinum electrodes. However, the results that had been obtained so far are somewhat contradictory, and consequently diverse interpretations can be found in the literature. Therefore, it is worth to review the knowledge accumulated and to carry out systematic study in this respect. In this work smooth and platinized platinum electrodes in contact with acidic solutions were studied using EQCN technique. The effects of temperature, the nature of cations and anions, pH, concentrations, potential range were investigated on the electrochemical, and the simultaneously detected nanogravimetric responses. It is shown that in the underpotential deposition (upd) of hydrogen the adsorption/desorption of species from the solution phase is governed by the oxidative desorption/reductive adsorption of hydrogen; however, unambiguos conclusions cannot be drawn regarding the actual participation of anions and water molecules in the surface coverage. In the hydrogen evolution region a weak cation adsorption can be assumed and the potential of zero charge can be estimated. Cs⁺ cations affect the EQCN response in the hydrogen upd region. In some cases, e.g., in the case of upd of zinc the mass change can be explained by an induced anion adsorption. Two types of dissolution processes have been observed. A platinum loss was detected during the reduction of platinum oxide, the extent of which depends on the positive potential limit and the scan rate, and to a lesser extent on the temperature. The platinum dissolution during the electroreduction of oxide is related to the interfacial place exchange of the oxygen and platinum atoms in the oxide region. At elevated temperatures two competitive processes take place at high positive potentials: a dissolution of platinum and platinum oxide formation.