Size and diffusion effects on the oxidation of formic acid and ethanol on platinum nanoparticles

Formic acid and ethanol oxidations on spherical platinum nanoparticles dispersed on carbon with different loadings have been studied. The increasing loading of the catalyst leads to a lower diffusion flux of reactants in the internal parts of the catalyst layer, resulting in a lower apparent activity. In some cases, as in ethanol oxidation, it may also affect the diffusion of the products. As a practical consequence, the structure of the supporting layer and the catalyst loading should be optimized so that the maximum catalyst utilization is obtained. Finally, these diffusion effects may mask some important catalytic activity increase of the nanoparticles. In the case of formic acid, a significant increase in the activity is obtained for very small nanoparticles.     

Nanostructured platinum as an electrocatalyst for the electrooxidation of formic acid

Nanostructured platinum prepared by the chemical reduction of hexachloroplatinic acid dissolved in aqueous domains of the liquid crystalline phases of oligoethylene oxide surfactants, was examined as an electrocatalyst for the electrooxidation of formic acid. The electrocatalytic properties of the catalyst combining highly specific surface areas and a periodic mesoporous nanostructure were accessed in sulfuric acid solution containing 0.5 mol dm⁻³ formic acid using cyclic voltammetry (CV) and chronoamperometry. The electrocatalytic activity of the material at 60 °C, is characterised by a mass activity of 8.6 A g⁻¹ and a specific surface area activity of 26 μA cm⁻² at 0.376 V (vs. RHE). The resistance to CO poisoning was found to depend upon electrode potential. At hydrogen adsorption potentials, the material is easily poisoned, while the material shows high resistance to CO poisoning at potentials positive of the hydrogen region. These facts suggest that the decomposition of HCOOH on the mesoporous platinum is likely to proceed through a dual-path mechanism and the high surface area material is a potential electocatalyst towards the electrooxidation of small organic molecules.     

Tin underpotential deposition on platinum and its catalytic influence on the kinetics of molecular oxygen electroreduction

The formation and dissolution of tin ad-layers on polycrystalline platinum were analysed by cyclic voltammetry in aqueous 10^–4 M tin(II)/1 M sulfuric acid in the 0.05–0.70 V versus RHE range. At this concentration level it was possible to observe that platinum sites involving (110) planes are mainly related to tin underpotential deposition. In contrast to previous results, no irreversible adsorption was found in the course of the electrodeposition. Thermodynamic adsorption parameters were calculated from the potential dependence of tin surface coverage. Catalytic properties of this new surface were studied on the basis of oxygen electroreduction as a model. Kinetic runs were performed with rotating ring-disk electrodes on bare and tin-modified platinum surfaces. Molecular oxygen reduction on tin-modified platinum takes place through the production of both water and hydrogen peroxide. This interpretation was confirmed by calculating the reaction order with respect to oxygen. Electronic Publication     

Size effects on the electrochemical oxidation of oxalic acid on nanocrystalline platinum

The electrocatalytic activity of platinised platinum (Pt Pt) electrodes in the electrooxidation of oxalic acid was found to be dependent on the degree of ageing. Pt Pt electrodes prepared by electrodeposition were aged by cycling the potential with an upper positive potential limit corresponding to Pt surface oxidation. This procedure results in surface reconstruction with an increase of mean particle size. The changes of surface area and roughness of Pt Pt during ageing have been discussed in terms of sintering processes for supported catalysts or ceramic materials. An increase of mean particle size is accompanied by a decrease in oxygen adsorption, e.g. through changes in the surface concentration of defects on the particle surface. Two possible mechanisms for the electrooxidation of oxalic acid involving either an oxygen adsorbate species (CE mechanism) or direct electrode transfer can be distinguished. Changes of oxidation rate are related to changes of oxygen coverage with ageing.     

Effect of cyclodextrins on the electrochemical behaviour of ascorbic acid on platinum electrodes in acidic and neutral solutions

The effect of β-CD and α-CD on the electrochemical behaviour of H₂A and HA⁻ on platinum is studied. The adsorption of β-CD on this electrode is demonstrated and proved to be dependent on the base electrolyte composition. The maximum adsorption coverage was reached in phosphate solution at pH 6.95. The homogeneous H₂A---β-CD complex formation produced a decrease in the oxidation current and a positive shift in the oxidation peak potential. These effects are predominant in acid solutions. In neutral solutions the opposite behaviour is observed, i.e. an increase in the oxidation current at lower oxidation potentials. The presence of a parallel oxidation route for the vitamin involving strongly adsorbed CO residues is considered, and evidence for a decrease in CO_ad in the presence of β-CD was given by variations in hydrogen adsorption charges. This fact, more important in neutral solutions, must be responsible for the catalytic effect observed. α-CD was not adsorbed, neither did it modify the electro-oxidation behaviour of H₂A and HA⁻.     

On the oxidation mechanism of C1-C2 organic molecules on platinum. A comparative analysis

The rational design of better electrocatalysts for the oxidation of C1–C2 organic molecules requires the detailed knowledge of their oxidation mechanism. Pt single crystals are powerful tools to study, in a simple way, the surface structure effect on the different reaction pathways. Here, the oxidation mechanism of these molecules is compared so that the knowledge gained with the simpler mechanism is transferred in the analysis of the more complex ones. The goal is to design strategies so that the platinum electrodes improve their performance in their oxidation by the appropriate modification with other elements by attacking the bottlenecks in the reaction mechanism.     

Electrochemical oxidation of carbon monoxide, methanol, formic acid, ethanol, and acetic acid on a platinum electrode under hot aqueous conditions

Using a pressure cell equipped with an Ag AgCl 0.1 M KCl external pressure-balanced reference electrode (EPBRE), hydrogen, methanol, formic acid, carbon monoxide, ethanol, acetic acid, and glucose were electrochemically oxidized on a Pt electrode under hot aqueous conditions (365−525 K), and the polarization curves were obtained at a sweep rate of 1 or 10 mV s⁻¹. The potential measured versus EPBRE was corrected to the RHE scale based on the experimentally or theoretically calculated pH of the solution at high temperature. During methanol and carbon monoxide oxidation, a strongly adsorbed intermediate presumably CO, was formed but it was oxidized at a lower potential than under ambient temperature. Formic acid was rapidly oxidized around 0 V versus RHE without formation of this adsorbed intermediate. Using a gas mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide, it was confirmed that the surface coverage by CO was decreased dramatically with a temperature increase from 425 to 475 K under hot aqueous conditions. Ethanol and acetic acid were also satisfactorily oxidized, but the trial to measure the electrochemical oxidation behavior of glucose was not successful due to the adhesion of char-like compounds to the electrode.     

Enhancement of the electrochemical reduction of oxygen at platinum by nickel underpotential deposition

Polycrystalline Pt electrode was modified by underpotential deposition (upd) of nickel. The modification was performed by potential cycling in phosphate buffer pH 7. 0 containing NiSO₄, in which hydrogen and nickel upd processes were well separated. The maximum Ni upd coverage was found to be 0.3. Oxygen reduction was studied at bare and nickel upd-modified Pt. It was found that the reaction rate increased with increasing Ni upd coverage. At θ(Ni)=0.3, the current density was a factor of 2 higher compared to bare Pt (at the potential of 0.85 V). The capacitance of the electrode interface was determined in potential-relaxation experiments following interruption of the polarization current. It was found that the pseudocapacitance owing to a coverage by the adsorbed reaction intermediates was higher on the Ni-modified Pt surface than on bare Pt, which resulted in higher reaction rate. The influence of Ni adatoms on the surface coverage by the reaction intermediates was attributed to the inhibition of OH adsorption on Pt by OH ligands attached on neighboring Ni atoms.     

The formation and behavior of Ag adsorbates at Pd electrodes and their influence on electrocatalytic oxidation of formic acid at Pd

The electrochemical behavior of Ag ions at smooth Pd electrodes and Pd/Pt deposits is investigated. At adsorption potentials, which are more anodic than the reversible potential of the Ag⁺/Ag electrode, an underpotential deposition of Ag⁺ ions occur.We can distinguished two types of Ag ad-atoms at Pd. The first type of Ag is irreversibly adsorbed. The second, which exists only in the presence of Ag ions in the solution, is reversibly adsorbed.The influenced of various coverages of Ag ad-atoms at smooth Pd and Pd/Pt deposits on the electrocatalytical oxidation of formic acid was investigated. Even small coverages of Ag ad-atoms lower the rate of formic acid oxidation. With higher coverages this inhibiting influence grows continously.     

Kinetics of dissociative adsorption of formic acid on electrodes of tetrahexahedral platinum nanocrystals

In the present paper we study the kinetics of dissociative adsorption of formic acid on the electrode of tetrahexahedral platinum nanocrystals (THH Pt NCs). In situ FTIR spectroscopic results demonstrate that HCOOH can be oxidized to CO2 at a low potential (-0.2 V(SCE)) on the THH Pt NCs electrode, and the chemical bonds inside formic acid molecule are broken to form adsorbed COL species. The kinetics of the dissociative adsorption of HCOOH was quantitatively investigated by employing programmed potential s...     

镀Pd的GC电极上HCOOH的电催化氧化

在玻璃碳 (GC)基底上电沉积Pd ,应用SEM观测Pd沉积层的表面形貌 ,用循环伏安法研究了Pd/GC电极上HCOOH在HClO4溶液中的电氧化行为 .结果表明 ,Pd的电沉积条件影响电极的催化性能 .在高电流密度下制得的Pd/GC电极对HCOOH的电氧化具有比纯Pd电极更高的催化活性 .当电极表面生成PdO时 ,HCOOH被电氧化的活性很低 ,而在PdO还原后生成的Pd表面 ,HCOOH的电氧化显示极高的活性 .本文还讨论了Pd(Ⅱ )离子对HCOOH电氧化过程的影响 .     

Oxidation of methanol at the network film of polyoxometallate-linked ruthenium-stabilized platinum nanoparticles

We explore here the ability of ruthenium hydroxo species to undergo spontaneous deposition on Pt nanoparticles and to form colloidal solutions of oxoruthenium-protected (-stabilized) nanoparticles of Pt. These particles can be spontaneously attracted to carbon substrates, and they form ultrathin self-assembled films. Fabrication of the multilayer network films on electrodes has been achieved by linking the positively charged oxoruthenium-covered Pt clusters with heteropolyanions of tungsten. By repeated alternate treatments in a solution of phosphododecatungstate (PW₁₂O₄₀^3–) and in a colloidal suspension of oxoruthenium-protected (-stabilized) Pt nanoparticles, the film thickness can be increased systematically (layer by layer) to form stable three-dimensional assemblies on carbon electrodes. It is apparent from cyclic voltammetric and chronoamperometric measurements (that were performed at 20 and 60 °C) that the resulting hybrid films show attractive properties towards the oxidation of methanol at fairly low potentials (0.25–0.4 V versus the saturated calomel electrode). With approximately the same loading of oxoruthenium-covered Pt nanoparticles and under analogous conditions, linking or derivatizing the nanoparticles with phosphotungstate leads to the systems higher electrocatalytic activity. It is possible that, in addition to ruthenium hydroxo species, PW₁₂O₄₀^3– exhibits an activating effect on dispersed Pt particles. An alternative explanation may involve the possibility of different morphologies of the catalytic films in the presence and absence of phosphotungstate anions.Dedicated to Zbigniew Galus on the occation of his 70th birthday     

Electrochemical behaviour of oxocarbons on single crystal platinum electrodes: Part V. Tetrahydroxy-p-benzoquinone in 0.5 M sulphuric acid medium

The electrochemical behaviour of tetrahydroxy-p-benzoquinone (THQ) on Pt(111), Pt(100) and Pt(110) surfaces has been studied in sulphuric acid solutions by cyclic voltammetry. The experimental results show that THQ is the oxocarbon having a lesser tendency to form CO-like species after adsorption on platinum surfaces. THQ is directly adsorbed on Pt(111) and Pt(100), although it is not stable and undergoes a slow reaction to CO adspecies on Pt(100) surfaces. Clear evidence of CO adspecies has been found only on Pt(100) electrodes.     

聚苯胺对钯催化甲酸电氧化反应的促进作用

钯基纳米材料是甲酸电氧化反应的优良催化剂.本工作制备了两个系列钯基催化剂,并考察了聚苯胺对钯上甲酸电氧化反应的助催化作用.一种是以聚苯胺为基底,在其表面电沉积钯纳米粒子,制得nPANI/Pd催化剂(n表示聚合苯胺的循环数);另一种是直接在商业Pd/C催化剂表面电聚合苯胺,制得Pd/C/nPANI催化剂.结果显示,聚苯胺单独存在时对甲酸电氧化反应没有催化活性,但其可对钯上甲酸电氧化反应呈现明显的促进作用,且促进作用与聚苯胺的厚度(聚合循环数)密切相关.在两个系列催化剂中,15PANI/Pd和Pd/C/20PANI显示出最高的催化性能.15PANI/Pd中钯的质量比催化活性是纯钯催化剂的7.5倍; Pd/C/20PANI中钯的质量比催化活性和本征催化活性分别是商业Pd/C催化剂的2.3和3.3倍.钯催化性能的提升与聚苯胺和钯纳米粒子间的电子效应有关.     

钯纳米晶体在电催化甲酸氧化反应中的形貌效应

本文基于课题组前期工作,选用适当的金属前驱物、还原剂、稳定剂和保护剂,通过调控氧化刻蚀和反应动力学等,成功合成了形貌和尺寸均不相同的Pd纳米晶.经过认真的纳米粒子清洗和电极修饰组装,考察了它们在电催化甲酸氧化反应中的形貌与性能的关系.研究结果表明,Pd纳米晶样品的最大电流密度以纳米八面体（nanooctahedra）、纳米线（nanowires）、纳米立方体（nanocubes）、纳米瓜子（nanotapers）、凹面纳米立方体（concave nanocubes）的顺序递增,催化甲酸氧化反应的起始氧化电位均小于0.2V.研究结果印证了Pd纳米晶催化甲酸氧化反应的催化性能在尺寸效应上主要受活性表面积的影响,扣除表面积效应后的催化性能与其尺寸没有明确关系.该系列Pd纳米晶的催化性能主要取决于其表面结构,得出Pd纳米晶催化甲酸氧化反应遵循{111}晶面〈{100}晶面〈高指数晶面的性能活性顺序.综合最大电流密度和最小操作电位因素发现,Pd凹面纳米立方体和Pd纳米瓜子具有相对较好的商用价值.     

Voltammetric behaviour at gold electrodes immersed in the BCR sequential extraction scheme media: Application of underpotential deposition-stripping voltammetry to determination of copper in soil extracts

The development of mercury-free electroanalytical systems for in-field analysis of pollutants requires a foundation on the electrochemical behaviour of the chosen electrode material in the target sample matrices. In this work, the behaviour of gold working electrodes in the media employed in the BCR sequential extraction protocol, for the fractionation of metals in solid environmental matrices, is reported. All three of the BCR sequential extraction media are redox active, on the basis of acidity and oxygen content as well as the inherent reducing or oxidising nature of some of the reagents employed: 0.11 M acetic acid, 0.1 M hydroxylammonium chloride (adjusted to pH 2) and 1 M ammonium acetate (adjusted to pH 2) with added trace hydrogen peroxide. The available potential ranges together with the demonstrated detection of target metals in these media are presented. Stripping voltammetry of copper or lead in the BCR extract media solutions reveal a multi-peak behaviour due to the stripping of both bulk metal and underpotential metal deposits. A procedure based on underpotential deposition-stripping voltammetry (UPD-SV) was evaluated for application to determination of copper in 0.11 M acetic acid soil extracts. A preliminary screening step in which different deposition times are applied to the sample enables a deposition time commensurate with UPD-SV to be selected so that no bulk deposition or stripping occurs thus simplifying the shape and features of the resulting voltammograms. Choice of the suitable deposition time is then followed by standards addition calibration. The method was validated by the analysis of a number of BCR 0.11 M acetic acid soil extracts. Good agreement was obtained been the UPD-SV method and atomic spectroscopic results.     

Pt/C催化剂对甲酸电催化氧化的粒径效应

在甲醇溶剂中,利用SnCl2作为还原剂,通过控制反应条件制备了具有不同粒径Pt粒子的炭载Pt(Pt/C)催化剂.X射线衍射(XRD)和透射电子显微镜(TEM)的结果表明,Pt/C催化剂中Pt粒子具有高度的均一性和良好的分散度.电化学研究结果显示,对于甲酸的电催化氧化,Pt/C催化剂存在着明显的粒径效应.当Pt粒子粒径为3.2 nm时,Pt/C催化剂对甲酸的电催化氧化活性最佳.Pt/C催化剂对甲酸氧化的粒径效应与其表面含氧基团含量、Pt粒子的比表面积及相对结晶度相关.     

Modelling the vibrational behaviour of the cyclic carboxylic acid dimer. SQM force field of the formic acid dimer

The vibrational behaviour of the cyclic carboxylic acid dimer is modelled through the scaled quantum mechanical (SQM) force field of the cyclic formic acid dimer. The results indicate that the SQM force field technique is very well applicable to hydrogen bonded molecules. The frequency shifts observed on hydrogen bonding can be related to the shifts observed on lowering the temperature. This study also confirms that a clear distinction between cyclic carboxylic acid dimers and catamers can be made through the difference between infrared and Raman frequencies, and it is proved here that these conditions are also valid for weaker hydrogen bonded cyclic carboxylic acid dimers.