The formation and reduction of anodic films on electrodeposited ruthenium

The formation and reduction of anodic films on bright ruthenium was investigated using substrates prepared by electrodeposition onto gold-plated platinum from a commercial ruthenium bath operated at 70°C. Anodic films formed on the ruthenium may be reduced by maintaining the electrode at potentials below 0.2 V. The reduction behaviour was markedly affected by the anodization potential and, at short times, by the period of anodization. The bell-shaped cathodic current-time curves observed with films produced at potentials in the region of 1.2 V, suggest that the process in this case involves nucleation of reduction centres on a relatively stable surface layer. The influence of potential, time, and both the concentration and nature of the electrolyte on the extent of anodic film formation was investigated. The results are discussed in terms of the formation of stable phase oxides in the relatively thick anodic film produced on the ruthenium surface.     

Interfacial electrochemistry of cytochrome c at tin oxide,indium oxide,gold, and platinum electrodes

Cyclic voltammetry has been used to study the heterogeneous electron transfer kinetics of horse heart cytochrome c in pH 7 tris/cacodylate media at several electrode surfaces. Reversible voltammetric responses (formal heterogeneous electron transfer rate constant>10^?2 cm/s) were observed at bare gold electrodes and at tin-doped indium oxide semiconductor electrodes for certain experimental conditions. Quasireversible voltammetric responses were more typically observed at fluorine-doped tin oxide semiconductor electrodes, bare platinum electrodes, and at the indium oxide electrodes. Reaction rates at bare metal electrodes were strongly dependent on pretreatment procedures and experimental protocol. Reaction rates at metal oxide electrodes were strongly dependent on solution conditions, pretreatment procedures, and on the hydration state of the electrode surface. A general mechanistic scheme involving both interfacial electrostatic and chemical interactions is proposed for cytochrome c electrode reactions. The asymmetric distribution of surface charges on cytochrome c appears to play a dominant role in controlling electron transfer rates by its interaction with the electric field at the electrode surface. Electron transfer distances are also considered, and it is concluded that electron transfer between an electrode surface and the exposed heme edge of properly oriented cytochrome c molecules involves maximum distances of ca. 0.6–0.9 nm.     

Obtaining thin films of “reactive polymers” on metal surfaces by electrochemical polymerization: Part II. Alcohol substituted polyphenylene oxide films

The selective electrochemical oxidation of the phenol function in the case of hydroxymethyl phenol derivatives (o^?, m^?, p-hydroxybenzyl alcohol) leads to “reactive polymer” films of polyphenylene oxide substituted by CH₂OH groups. The transformation of the hydroxyl function into an ester function by acetyl chloride indicates the reactivity of the CH₂OH group. As for the family of carbonylated polyphenylene oxide films, reactivity is limited to the superficial layers of film. Average film thickness is between 50–100 nm; however with the ferrocene-ferricinium system acting as a redox catalyst, it can reach about 300 nm. This catalytic mechanism intervenes only when the oxidation potential of the ferrocene-ferricinium couple is very similar to that of the phenol derivative.     

Influence of the preparation history of α-Fe2O3 on its reactivity for hydrogen reduction

TG experiments on the hydrogen reduction of α-Fe₂O₃ were carried out to elucidate the influence of the preparation history of the oxide on its reactivity. α-Fe₂O₃ samples were prepared by the thermal decomposition of seven iron salts in a stream of oxygen, air or nitrogen at temperatures of 500–1200°C for 1 h. Thirteen metal ions such as Cu²⁺, Ni²⁺, etc. were used as doping agents. The reactivity of the oxide was indicated by the initial reduction temperature (T_i. α-Fe₂O₃ prepared at lower temperatures showed lower T_i values and the reduction proceeded stepwise (Fe₂O₃ → Fe₃O₄ → Fe). T_i values increased with the rise in the preparation temperature of the oxide. The oxides prepared at higher temperatures showed that two reduction steps (Fe₂O₃ → Fe₃O₄ → Fe) proceed simultaneously. the preparation in oxygen gave higher T_i than that in air or nitrogen. The doping by metal ions, except Ti⁴⁺, lowered the T_i of α-Fe₂O₃. The Cu²⁺ ion showed the lowest T_i, while Ti⁴⁺ showed the highest T_i and the inhibition effect.The reduction process was expressed by two equations; Avrami—Erofeev's equation for α-Fe₂O₃ → Fe₃O₄ and Mampel's equation for Fe₃O₄ → Fe.     

Effect of pH on the electrochemical reduction of some heterocyclic quinones

The reduction of 1,10-phenanthroline-5,6-quinone(I), 5,8-quinolinequinone(II) and 6,7-dichloro-5,8-quinolinequinone(III) was investigated using cyclic voltammetry and coulometry at mercury electrodes and 50% dimethylsulfoxide+water solvent. Each compound is reduced to the corresponding hydroquinone in a diffusion-controlled, reversible two-electron process. The pH-dependence of the reversible potential indicated that the quinone forms were unprotonated, but the hydroquinones could be protonated at the heterocyclic nitrogen atom with pK_a = 5.3 for I and 3.5 for III. Careful analysis of the cyclic voltammetric peak shape revealed that the difference between the standard potentials for the introduction of successive electrons, E₂⁰ ? E₁⁰, was 70 ±20, >100 and 80 ± 20 mV for I–III. Investigation of the pH-dependence of E₁⁰ and E₂⁰ showed that the pK_a of the semiquinone of I was about 8.     

Catalytic effects of metal submonolayers formed by faradaic adsorption on the anodic oxidation of ascorbic acid at a platinum electrode

The catalytic effects of metal ions on the anodic oxidation of ascorbic acid on a Pt electrode in 1 M HClO₄ were studied by linear sweep voltammetry. The anodic peak due to a two-electron oxidation of ascorbic acid shifts to the negative potential side on the addition of Bi³⁺. This indicates the accelerating effect of Bi³⁺ on the oxidation of ascorbic acid. The presence of other metal ions, such as Pb²⁺, Hg²⁺, Tl⁺, Ag⁺ and Sb³⁺, also exerts similar effects. These metal ions were adsorbed on a Pt electrode at underpotentials and the adsorbed metals (denoted as M_ad) still remain on the electrode surface until the electrode potential goes up to and beyond the peak potential of the oxidation of ascorbic acid. On the other hand, metal ions forming no adsorbed layer on Pt, such as Co²⁺, Zn²⁺, Fe³⁺ and Ni²⁺, exhibit no catalytic effect. These facts suggest that the presence of a M_ad on Pt is essential for the promotion of the anodic oxidation of ascorbic acid. However, there is a difference in the catalytic action among the M_ad, for example, Cu_ad, Cd_ad, In_ad, Sn_ad and Mo_ad display no catalytic action.The catalytic activity depends on the degree of surface coverage by the M_ad. The maximal effect of the M_ad is attained in the submonolayer region. The effects of metal ions were discussed on the basis that the M_ad plays its major role in the removal of the adsorbed ascorbic acid occupying active sites on the electrode surface, and provides effective sites for the activation of adjacent water molecules. Furthermore, from the ¹³C NMR spectra for the oxidation products, the adsorbed water on the M_ad appears to function by promoting the subsequent hydration steps, following the electron-transfer step of ascorbic acid.     

On the reduction of platinum oxide layers by hydrogen in aqueous H2SO4 under open circuit conditions

This paper reports investigations on the mechanism of the open circuit (OC) reduction of platinum oxide layers by hydrogen in aqueous sulfuric acid. Special attention was given to the conditions of the oxide layer formation and the anodic oxidation of hydrogen thereupon. A twin-cell technique was developed which allows the instantaneous rate of the OC reduction to be determined. The experimental results show that the dissociative adsorption of hydrogen is the rate-determining step of the process and that the OC reduction follows, an island mechanism. Because of the time-dependent alteration of the oxide layer structure, the formation conditions affect the instantaneous rate of the OC reduction as well as the duration of the total reduction of the oxide layer.     

Study of the (210) face of gold in aqueous solutions

Among all the gold faces studied to date, the (210) face has the most negative pzc and therefore should be less affected by preoxidation than the other faces. But the (210) gold face-sodium fluoride solution interface is ideally polarizable only in a short range of potential. Nevertheless, differential capacity-potential curves have been tentatively exploited. There seems to be adsorption of the fluoride ions on the (210) face of gold. The inner-layer capacity-charge curves are discussed.     

Electrochemical reduction of some rhodanine derivatives at the DME

The electroreduction of two series of rhodanine derivatives has been investigated at the DME. The first wave was assigned to the saturation of the azomethine linkage and the reduction of the ethylenic double bond in series I and II, respectively. On the other hand, the second wave in both series was assigned to the reduction of the C-S group and partly to the catalytic hydrogen evolution catalyzed by these compounds.     

Adsorption of adenine derivatives on a gold electrode studied by specular reflectivity measurement

The adsorption of adenine, deoxyadenosine, deoxyadenosine-5′-monophosphate,-diphosphate and-triphosphate on a gold electrode has been studied by specular reflectivity measurement in 0.1 M NaClO₄ solution. In the presence of these compounds, a marked decrease in reflectivity was found on reflectivity-potential curves in the potential region more positive than ?0.8 V vs. Ag/AgCl, the decrease being ascribed to the adsorption of them. The magnitude of change in reflectivity was dependent on both the concentration and the electrode potential. The reflectivity change observed in the negative potential region was analyzed quantitatively according to the procedure previously described. The results were elucidated on the basis of the same isotherm as used by Green and Dahms in their adsorption study of aromatic hydrocarbons, and the number of solvent molecules being replaced through the adsorption of one organic molecule and the free energy change of adsorption were obtained. The former is suggestive of a flat orientation of the adsorbed molecule in contact with its adenine moiety on the electrode surface. It is also suggested from the latter that the presence of phosphate groups leads to a decrease in ΔG_ad⁰ resulting from their hydrophilic properties and a repulsive interaction between these groups and the negative charges on the surface.     

The anodic oxidation of fluorene and some of its derivatives: Conditions for the formation of a new conducting polymer

Quinones undergo a one-step two-electron reduction in molten acetamide at the mercury and platinum electrodes. The reversibility of reduction increases in the order benzoquinone < napthaquinone = phenanthrquinone < anthraquinone.     

Subtractive differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetry at a stationary mercury-coated glassy carbon electrode

The application of subtractive mode differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetry (SDPASV) at a stationary mercury-coated glassy carbon electrode for the analysis of labile Zn(II), Cd(II), Pb(II) and Cu(II) is described. It is shown that the method has an improved sensitivity to Cu(II) owing to elimination of high background currents normally encountered in normal mode DPASV at the TFME. The sensitivity limits of the present method to Cd(II) and Cu(II) is estimated to be 0.025 and 0.067 ppb respectively, when a 2 min deposition time is used. It is suggested that the high sensitivity of the method coupled to the relative simplicity of the stationary electrodes could make the method useful in environmental and natural water studies.     

The effect of the central metal charge on the reduction half-wave potentials of d6 metal complexes

A SCF MO calculation is made to obtain the energies of the lowest vacant π-orbitals of tris-2,2′-bipyridine complexes of d⁶ transition metals in various oxidation states. Any overlap of a metal t_2g-orbital and a ligand π-orbital is neglected and the metal ion is considered as a source of an electrostatic potential field. The π-electron system of the three ligand molecules is treated as a whole by taking account of the overlap of 2pπ-AO's belonging to different ligand molecules. When it is assumed that a ligand π^*-orbital is occupied by the electron added in the course of reduction, the results of the calculation and the Born equation for solvation energy together lead to a linear relation between the reduction half-wave potentials of the complexes and the sum of the charges on the central metal ion and the ligand nitrogen atoms. This linear relation is confirmed experimentally by using the available data on the reduction half-wave potentials of the tris-bipyridine complexes of the following d⁶ metals: Ir(III), Fe(II), Ru(II), Os(II), Cr(0), Mo(0), V(?I) and Ti(?II).     

A luminescence probe for measurements of electron-exchange rates in polymer films on electrodes

The effect of metal ions on the, reduction of 1,10-phenanthroline-5,6-quinone (1), 5,8-quinolinequinone (II) and 6,7-dichloro-5, 8-quinolinequinone (III) has been investigated in 50% dimethylsulfoxide+water solvent. 1 contains the 1,10-phenanthroline structure in both its quinone and hydroquinone forms, while II and III contain the 8-hydroxyquinoline structure in the hydroquinone forms. Complexation of the hydroquinones of II and III by metal ions causes positive shifts in the quinone half-wave potentials. These shifts have been used to calculate conditional formation constants for Pb²⁺(II) and Pb²⁺ and Zn²⁺(III). The quinone form of I binds strongly to Ni²⁺, Co²⁺ and Zn²⁺ but not to Ca²⁺. Mg²⁺. Mg₂₊. Mn²⁺ and Pb²⁺. With the latter four metals, binding to the hydroquinone from of I was detected and formation constants were determined. In addition to binding both the quinone and hydroquinone forms at the nitrogen atoms, Ni₂₊ Co²⁺ and Zn²⁺ formed complexes at the 1,2-dihydroxy site of the hydroquinone of I.     

Electron-transfer reactions and conformational changes associated with the reduction of substituted bianthrones

The electrochemical reduction of several substituted bianthrones is similar to that of the parent compound. 3,3′-Dimethylbianthrone (II), 3,3′-di-n-heptylbianthrone (III). 3,3′-dimethoxybianthrone (IV) and 1,1′-dimethylbianthrone -(V) were studied in dimethylformamide using cyclic voltammetry and transmission mode spectroelectrochemistry. For each compound the low temperature A form is reduced in a two-electron irreversible reaction to a twisted dianion, B^2?. Upon oxidation, B^2? forms first B, then B, whose spectral properties are identical to those of the high-temperature thermochromic form of the bianthrones. Rate constants for the B-A reaction were determined for each compound. The reduction of 2,3,2′,3′-dibenzo-7,7′-dimethylbianthrone (VI) showed somewhat different features which were tentatively interpreted in terms of redox catalysis.     

On the electrochemical reduction mechanism of indolinone nitroxide radicals in DMF

A study of the electroreduction of 1,2-dihydro-2-phenyl-2-alkyl (or phenyl)-3 H-indol-3-one-1-oxyls (nitroxide radicals) in dimethylformamide is presented. The techniques of ac and dc voltammetry, controlled potential coulometry, ESR and UV spectrometry were used. In DMF-H₂O nitroxide radicals are reduced in two steps: the first is the reversible monoelectronic formation of the corresponding N-hydroxides, while the second (which involves a chemical reaction) is the irreversible production of 2,3-dihydro-2-phenyl-2-alkyl (or phenyl)-3-hydroxy indoles. A multistep scheme is suggested, based upon the electrochemical and spectrometric data.     

Spectrophotometric determination of microamounts of gold(III) with propericiazine

Propericiazine is proposed as a new reagent for the spectrophotometric determination of gold(III). The reagent forms an orange-red-colored species with gold(III) instantaneously in 4–8 M phosphoric acid. The orange-red species exhibits maximum absorbance at 511 nm. Beer's law is valid over the concentration range 0.1–7.0 μg/ml. The molar absorptivity is found to be 3.85 × 10⁴ liter mol⁻¹ cm⁻¹. The effects of acidity, time, order of addition of reagents, temperature, reagent concentration, and diverse ions are investigated.     

The influence of disproportionation of the anion radical on the electrochemical reduction of 1,9-dimethyldibenzo[b,f]pentalene

The electrochemical reduction of 1,9-dimethyldibenzo[b,f]pentalene has been investigated in DMF by both cyclic voltammetry (CV) and dc polarography. The influence of the depolarizer concentration and electrode material (Pt and Hg) was studied. It was found that the first electron transfer is a reversible one under most conditions studied, whereas the second electron transfer was irreversible on Pt and quasi-reversible on the HMD. An overall EDISP.EC mechanism was suggested and discussed. It turned out that the first reduction process was accompanied by a disproportionation of the anion-radical to its parent hydrocarbon and dianion. The experimental waves were analysed on the basis of various theoretical procedures.