Kinetics and mechanism of electrochemical reduction of multilayer oxides on a smooth platinum electrode surface in acidic electrolyte

The electrochemical reduction of multilayer oxides which were formed on a smooth Pt electrode surface under severe anodic conditions was investigated using a galvanostatic transient, a linear potential sweep and a potential step technique. Four regions of the surface oxide reduction were distinguished in the galvanostatic E?t curve and four corresponding cathodic current peaks were observed in the potentiodynamic i?E profile. These four regions or peaks are attributed to the reduction of four O-containing layers: an oxygen monolayer adsorbed on the oxide surface, two oxide layers in a first and a second lattice and a multilayer oxide in the deeper lattices having a phase property. The reduction rate of the first lattice oxide layer is determined by a second electron transfer. Under a rapid stripping condition, the reduction of the second oxide layer is considered to be controlled by the place exchange reaction. The extremely large reduction rate of the multilayer oxide compared with the formation rate is explained in terms of the proton-electron model.