Electroreduction of molecular oxygen on carbon electrode modified by dispersed silver

Silver particles are formed by electrochemical deposition on the carbon electrode surface. It is found that the deposition process occurs according to the progressive nucleation mechanism, which results in formation of silver particles with the size of 95 to 190 nm as dependent on the electrodeposition time. The values of silver particle size and support surface coverage by metal obtained on the basis of microphotographs indicate that cathodic polarization in the presence of dissolved oxygen results in particle size redistribution due to the reaction of silver particle dissolution with further deposition simultaneously with oxygen electroreduction. The reaction of molecular oxygen electroreduction on a carbon electrode with deposited dispersed silver occurs via a mixed two- and four-electron mechanism. The observed limiting reaction current is of diffusion nature.