Platinum Is Always the Best Electrocatalyst

In this chapter, I am trying to speak to workers interested in physical electrochemistry, and I distinguish such workers from those who have interest in electrochemistry on the basis of its usefulness in analytical problems and to whom the electrode is primarily a source for electrons. This chapter is meant to give a basis for people who want to THINK about what is the best electrocatalyst for a given reaction. 

there is opposition to my views, and it is caricatured by those who say Isn t platinum the best catalyst People who speak like this should not be regarded as poor in knowledge because it turns out that, in practice, platinum is often the best electrocatalyst available for anodic oxidation 

Apart from platinum s intermediate nature on bonding, another point in platinum s favor is availability platinum can be purchased in various suitable forms at a reasonable price some noble metals are difficult to find and purchase. The word noble means here stable and of course that is a first point one wants in an electrocatalyst. It must be a catalyst, not enter into the reaction. It is meant to accelerate the reaction. It must itself be stable, thermally and electrochemically. On the last point, platinum is only fairly good because oxide-free platinum does start itself to dissolve around 1.0 V on the normal hydrogen scale. By using it in anodic reactions in a potential range anodic to 1.0 V, Pt(II) is likely to get into the solution and may be deposited on the cathode. 

Elements Lower or Equal to Platinum MP (°C) Elements Higher than Platinum MP (°C) 

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