Platinum plasma etching

Solid metal electrodes are usually polished mechanically and are sometimes etched with nitric acid or aqua regia. Purification of platinum group metal electrodes is effectively achieved also by means of high-frequency plasma treatment. However, electrochemical preparation of the electrode immediately prior to the measurement is generally most effective. The simplest procedure is to polarize the electrode with a series of cyclic voltammetric pulses in the potential range from the formation of the oxide layer (or from the evolution of molecular oxygen) to the potential of hydrogen evolution (Fig. 5.18F). 

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