Electrocatalysis and transport effects on nanostructured Pt/GC electrodes

Journal article, 2010

The role and contribution of transport processes in electrocatalytic reactions was investigated in model studies of the oxidation of CO (single-product reaction) and formaldehyde (dual-product reaction), using nanostructured Pt/glassy carbon electrodes with variable Pt loading and defined reactant transport conditions. Nanostructured electrodes with monodispersed, uniformly distributed Pt nanostructures (100-140 nm diameter) supported on planar glassy carbon (GC) electrodes with different densities were prepared by Colloidal Lithography (CL) or Hole-Mask Colloidal Lithography (HCL). Transport effects were evaluated by varying the density of the nanostructures and the electrolyte flow. The resulting changes in the transport limited reaction current (CO oxidation - transition from planar to spherical diffusion with de creasing Pt nanostructure density) and in the distribution of the reaction products HCOOH and CO 2 (HCHO oxidation), which is probed by differential electrochemical mass spectrometry (DEMS), are discussed focusing on transport effects. The increasing amount of CO 2 with decreasing space velocity (higher nanostructure density, lower electrolyte flow) is explained by increasing re-adsorption and further reaction of desorbing reaction intermediates. © 2009 Elsevier B.V.