Étude de l'adsorption électrochimique de l'oxygène sur des lames minces d'or par la mesure de leur résistance électrique

The electrical resistance changes of thin gold film electrodes of preferential orientation 111] with film thickness and potential have been studied. The applicability of the Fuchs-Sondheimer (FS) relation to the decrease of resistance observed at the first negative polarization and the first few potential sweeps for different thicknesses have shown that this phenomenon is due to a surface process, interpreted as a cleaning of the electrodes. The resistance changes observed during the electrochemical adsorption and desorption of oxygen also obey the FS relation. The analysis of the resistance variation with the charge exchanged during these reactions has allowed us to show that the electrochemical adsorption of oxygen, on these gold films occurs by a two-dimensional island mechanism with formation of different structures of the surface layer. The values of the resistivity change caused by the adsorption of 1% oxygen atoms (with respect to the total number of metal atoms in the films) at low coverage have been compared with those observed in other systems (metal-gas, metal-metal).