Ionic and Molecular Environments in Heterogeneous Electrocatalysis: Studies by Radioactive Labeling and LEED/AUGER Spectroscopy
Abstract
Adsorption, catalytic activity and metal deposition at the metal/ solution interface have been studied in a coordinated fashion by radiochemistry, ultra-high vacuum spectroscopies of surface science and electrochemistry. The metal part of the interface was usually a single-crystal of platinum, rhodium or gold, or an ultra-thin metallic film of either cadmium, copper or silver obtained via underpotential deposition processes. The adsorbates predominantly included bisulfate, perchlorate, phosphate, acetic acid and urea. The integrative feature of the adsorbates was their capacity of a reversible adsorption on the platinum electrode. The molecule with which the catalytic rates have been measured was methanol in perchlorate, bisulfate and phosphate solutions. These studies have focused on (1) effects of anions on the catalytic oxidation of methanol on platinum single crystal electrodes, (2) surface chemistry of the studied adsorbates on the clean and admetal covered electrodes, (3) surface studies of the solid/liquid CO (as the most probable methanol chemisorption product), and (4) phase transitions of urea induced by lateral adsorbate-adsorbate interactions. Two methods for in situ and ex situ electrode characterization, namely the radioactive labeling and the ultra-high vacuum- electrochemistry, have been used and advancements in their performance, or new areas of applications, have been reported.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jul 01, 1993
- Accession Number
- ADA268850
Entities
People
- Andrzej Wieckowski
Organizations
- University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign