Hydrogen peroxide reduction on single platinum nanoparticles |
| |
Authors: | Xin Chang Christopher Batchelor-McAuley Richard G Compton |
| |
Institution: | Physical and Theoretical Chemistry Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QZ UK, |
| |
Abstract: | Understanding oxygen reduction, key to much of electrochemical energy transformation technology, crucially requires exploration of the role of hydrogen peroxide as a possible intermediate especially on catalysts such as Pt which can bring about the 4e reduction of O2 to water. We reveal that at the single nanoparticle scale the direct platinum catalysed reduction of hydrogen peroxide is found – even at high overpotentials – not to be controlled by the rate mass-transport of the reagents to the interface but by a surface limited process. Further under alkaline (pH 12.3) and near mass-transport free conditions, the single nanoparticle hydrogen peroxide reduction rate goes through a maximum at potentials comparable to the surface deposition of hydrogen (Hupd) with the highest reaction rate occurring when the surface is partially covered in hydrogen.At the single platinum nanoparticle scale the hydrogen peroxide reduction reaction is a surface limited process. |
| |
Keywords: | |
|
|