Electrocatalysis special features

Electrocatalytic reactions have much in common with ordinary (chemical) heterogeneous catalytic reactions, but electrocatalysis has certain characteristic special features ... 

It was the aim of this work to find ways to raise the rate and efficiency of the electrochemical reactions taking place at the electrodes of fuel cells, mainly by raising their catalytic activity. These studies examined reactions at both the oxygen (air) electrode and at the hydrogen electrode (see the monograph of M. Breiter, 1969). In many countries, the special features of electrochemical oxidation of methanol at platinum catalysts were also studied. All these studies, as well as the work of Grubb and Niedrach mentioned earlier, concerning the possibility of low-temperature hydrocarbon oxidation led to the development of a new branch of electrochemical science, electrocatalysis. 

Two years ago, Advances in Catalysis featured a chapter on chemisorbed intermediates in electrocatalysis. In this issue we follow up with a chapter by Wendt, Rausch, and Borucinski, Advances in Applied Electrocatalysis. The successful commercial application of electrocatalysis requires a detailed, fundamental knowledge of the many catalytic phenomena such as adsorption, diffusion, and superimposition of catalyst micro- and nanostructure on the special requirements of electrode behavior. Considerable understanding of the status and limitations of electrolysis, fuel cells, and electro-organic syntheses has been obtained and provides a sound basis for future developments. 

The electrocatalysis of HCOOH oxidation on Pd constitutes a special case and represents an exception when compared to CH3OH and C2H5OH. Some of the early work on this topic has been presented in Section 4.1. The cyclic voltammogram of Pd(lll) in 0.1 M H2SO4 is shown by Figure 4.32 [167], Key features are i) pronunced underpotentially deposited hydrogen peaks (adsorption/desorption) around -0.05 V vs. SCE, ii) ordered SOd adlayer formation at +0.1 V vs. SCE, and iii) Pd surface oxidation at 0.8 V vs. SCE and reduction of the surface oxides at 0.4 V on the cathodic scan, generating irreversible surface defects [167]. 

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