Anodes atomic carbon adsorption

Electrooxidation of carbon monoxide to carbon dioxide at platinum has been extensively studied mainly not least because of the technological importance of its role in methanol oxidation in fuel cells [5] and in poisoning hydrogen fuel cells [6]. Enhancing anodic oxidation of CO is critical, and platinum surfaces modified with ruthenium or tin, which favor oxygen atom adsorption and transfer to bound CO, can achieve this [7, 8]. 

Electrofugal leaving of further hydrogen atoms linked at this carbon atom is promoted by insertion of the strongly electronegative fluoride ion and the formation of the C-F bond. Repetition of this mechanism leads to perfluorina-tion. In these molecules the reaction proceeds until there is complete substitution of hydrogen atoms. After this, the perfluorinated molecule leaves the adsorption layer at the anode and moves into the bath. 

Pt is able to break the C—C bond, leading to adsorbed CO species at relatively low anode potentials from 0.3 V RHE, the adsorbed peak has clearly been shown in SNIFTIRS spectrum [55]. One can consider two distinct sequences steps 7 and 8 or steps 9 and 10. The first sequence assumes that ethanol must be adsorbed by the C—H bond cleavage in both carbon atoms and the second sequence assumes that the rupture of the C—H bond of the intermediate formed after the acetaldehyde adsorption. The COads species thus react with adsorbed OH to produce CO2 through step 11. Trace amount of CH4 at the potential of <0.4 V has been detected, thus the following reaction may occur [53,54] ... 

The essential points concerning the simultaneous adsorption of hydrogen atoms and carbonaceous species are discussed subsequently for the simple case of carbon monoxide as blocking species in acid electrolytes. Adsorption of carbon monoxide has been studied on smooth platinum by pulse techniques [63—65] and on platinized platinum by anodic charging curves [66, 67]. Hydrogen atoms do not... 

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