The Mechanisms of the Electrochemical Reactions of Simple Organic Compounds in Aqueous Solutions

摘要

Research to further the understanding of the anode of a hydrocarbon fuel cell is reported. Studies of simple organic reactions, e.g., the reduction of CO2, the oxidation of HCOOH, and the effects of adsorbed layers on their reactions in acid solutions are reported. Methods of determining the properties of adsorbate layers are experimentally and theoretically explored. Methods to allow determination of double layer charging effects and electrode oxidation corrections are developed. Studies of the Pt electrocatalytic surface show it to be markedly heterogeneous. Studies of the formation of 'reduced CO2', the main intermediate in hydrocarbon oxidation, have been carried out. The mechanism of HCOOH oxidation has been explored. It has been shown that the product of a side reaction blocks the electrode and inhibits the desired reaction. The electroactive species is apparently HCOO(-). The effects of adsorbed inorganic layers on HCOOH oxidation have been studied with a view to developing a non-noble metal catalyst stabilized by adsorption. Experiments with Cu, Ag, Pb, Hg, S, and Cl(-) are reported. The most reactive layers are Pb, Hg, and S. (Author)