The electrochemical reduction of oxygen to hydrogen peroxide at the dropping mercury electrode: Part I. Its kinetics at 605 pH<12.5

Via the combination of data obtained from dc and ac experiments it is shown that, contrary to earlier beliefs, the kinetics of the reaction O₂ + 2e + 2 H₂O ? H₂O₂ + 2 OH^? do not depend on pH between pH = 6.5 and pH = 12.5. The rate of reduction is obtained in a large potential range that allows proof of the existence of an electrochemical step followed by a chemical step and the determination of the kinetic parameters of these steps.The analyses of the ac data have some novel aspects.