Cyclic voltammetry adsorbed species

In this section, we will present and discuss cyclic voltammetry and potential-step DBMS data on the electro-oxidation ( stripping ) of pre-adsorbed residues formed upon adsorption of formic acid, formaldehyde, and methanol, and compare these data with the oxidative stripping of a CO adlayer formed upon exposure of a Pt/ Vulcan catalyst to a CO-containing (either CO- or CO/Ar-saturated) electrolyte as reference. We will identify adsorbed species from the ratio of the mass spectrometric and faradaic stripping charge, determine the adsorbate coverage relative to a saturated CO adlayer, and discuss mass spectrometric and faradaic current transients after adsorption at 0.16 V and a subsequent potential step to 0.6 V. 

It is concluded that the occupation of the step and kink sites plays a crucial role in the promotion of the Pt catalyst. The cyclic voltammetry results can be used to explain the conversion trends observed in Figure 2. For unpromoted 5%Pt/C the Pt step and kink sites are unoccupied and available for adsorption of reactant and oxidant species. During reaction these sites facilitate premature catalyst deactivation due to poisoning by strongly adsorbed by-products (5) and (or) the formation of a surface oxide layer (6). The 5%Pt,0.5%Bi/C catalyst has a portion of these Pt step and kink sites occupied and the result is a partial reduction in the catalyst deactivation and a consequent increase in alcohol conversion. As the Bi level is increased to lwt.% almost all of the Pt step and kink sites are occupied and the result is a catalyst with high activity. As more Bi is introduced onto the catalyst surface a bulk Bi phase is formed. Since the catalyst activity is maintained it is speculated that the bulk Bi phase is not involved in the catalytic cycle. 

Having defined our near electrode region, we turn now to consider the various techniques that can be employed in the in situ investigation of the reactions that occur within it. The various methods that can be employed will each provide different types of information on the processes occurring there. As has already been discussed, cyclic voltammetry is the most common technique first employed in the investigation of a new electrochemical system. However, in contrast to the LSV and CV of adsorbed species, the voltammetry of electroactivc species in solution is complicated by the presence of an additional factor in the rate, the mass transport of species to the electrode. Thus, it may be more useful to consider first the conceptually more simple chronoamperometry and chronocoulometry techniques, in order to gain an initial picture of the role of mass transport. 

From the figure it can be seen that there is a pronounced anodic peak near 0.15 V vs. SCE that has also been observed in aqueous electrolyte. The current at this peak scales linearly with the scan rate, as expected for a surface-bound redox material (see section on cyclic voltammetry of adsorbed species). 

Radiometry is often combined with electrochemical techniques, such as cyclic voltammetry and coulometry. In this way, the number of electrons involved in the oxidation of adsorbed species can be obtained. 

Cyclic voltammetry is also very useful for the study of adsorbed species1415,28-30. In the examples discussed above, it was assumed that the electroactive species and its reaction products are soluble in the solution and that surface processes can be neglected. However, if the shape of the peak is unusual (e.g. very sharp), the electrochemical reaction is probably complicated by surface processes, such as adsorption. Usually, adsorption of species favours the electrode reaction taking place at lower potentials in the case of a deposition, one speaks about under potential deposition. Different ways of adsorption can be obtained ... 

Cyclic-voltammetry response of adsorbed species if only adsorbed O and R are electroactive (a) and if also the species in solution is electroactive (b). 

The aim of this chapter is to show that the choice of a catalyst formulation leading to increase the activity and the selectivity of a given electrochemical reaction involved in a fuel cell can only be achieved when the mechanism of the electrocatalytic reaction is sufficiently understood. The elucidation of the mechanism caimot be obtained by using only electrochemical techniques (e.g. cyclic voltammetry, chronopotentiometry, chrono-amperometiy, coulo-metry, etc.), and usually needs a combination of such techniques with spectroscopic and analytical techniques. A detailed study of the reaction mechanism has thus to be carried out with spectroscopic and analytical techniques under electrochemical control. In short, the combination of electrochemical methods with other physicochemical methods cannot be disputed to determine some key reaction steps. For this purpose, it is then necessary to be able to identify the nature of adsorbed intermediates, the stractuie of adsorbed layers, the natirre of the reaction products and byproducts, etc., and to determine the amormt of these species, as a fimction of the electrode potential and experimental conditions. 

We can also derive the difference expected between the anodic and the cathodic potentials, AEp, in the cyclic voltammetry of an adsorbed species under a quasi-reversible performance ... 

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