In this work, a nonlinear frequency response (NLFR) analysis was used for a first time in a theoretical study of nonlinear behavior of electrochemical (EC) ferrocyanide oxidation as a simple model reaction. Analytical expressions of the first- and second-order frequency response functions (FRFs) are derived. The first-order FRF is equivalent to the EC admittance and contains information about the linear behavior of the system, whereas the second-order FRF contains additional nonlinear information. The influence of different parameters, such as the heterogeneous rate constant, solution resistance, double-layer capacitance, diffusion coefficients of the reacting species, and electrode rotation rate on the characteristics of the first- and second-order FRFs was checked and discussed. It was found that the second-order FRF is more sensitive to the changes of the studied parameters than the first-order FRF. Experimental verification of the NLFR analysis of EC ferrocyanide oxidation is presented in Part II of this work.
We report on new insights into the relationships between structure and activity of glassy carbon (GC), as a model material for electrocatalyst support, during its anodization in acid solution. Our investigation strongly confirms the role of CFGs in promotion of Pt activity by the "spill-over" effect related to CO(ads) for methanol electrooxidation (MEO) on a carbon-supported Pt catalyst. Combined analysis of voltammetric and impedance behaviour as well as changes in GC surface morphology induced by intensification of anodizing conditions reveal an intrinsic influence of the carbon functionalization and the structure of a graphene oxide (GO) layer on the electrical and electrocatalytic properties of activated GC. Although GO continuously grows during anodization, it structurally changes from being a graphite inter-layer within graphite ribbons toward a continuous GO surface layer that deteriorates the native structure of GC. As a consequence of the increased distance between GO-spaced graphite layers, the GC conductivity decreases until the case of profound GO exfoliation under drastic anodizing conditions. This exposes the native, yet abundantly functionalized, GC texture. While GC capacitance continuously increases with intensification of anodizing conditions, the surface nano-roughness and GO resistance reach the highest values at modest anodizing conditions, and then decrease upon drastic anodization due to the onset of GO exfoliation. We found for the first time that the activity of a GC-supported Pt catalyst in MEO, as one of the promising half-reactions in polymer electrolyte fuel cells, strictly follows the changes in GC nano-roughness and GO-induced GC resistance. The highest GC/Pt MEO activity is reached when optimal distance between graphite layers and optimal degree of GC functionalization bring the highest amount of CFGs into intimate contact with the Pt surface. This confirms the promoting role of CFGs in MEO catalysis.
The influence of the aging time of RuO 2 sol on the electrochemical properties and behaviour in chlorine evolution reaction of RuO 2 /Ti and (40%RuO 2 + 60%TiO 2 )/Ti anodes obtained by sol-gel procedure was studied. The electrochemically active surface area of the anode coatings was examined by cyclic voltammetry. The electrocatalytic activity and anode stability in chlorine evolution reaction were investigated by polarization measurements and accelerated stability test. The dependence of electrochemical properties of obtained activated titanium anodes on RuO 2 particle size was established.
The characteristics of a ternary oxide coating, on titanium, which consisted of TiO2, RuO2 and IrO2 in the molar ratio 0.6:0.3:0.1, calculated on the metal atom, were investigated for potential application for cathodic protection in a seawater environment. The oxide coatings on titanium were prepared by the sol-gel procedure from a mixture of inorganic oxide sols, which were obtained by forced hydrolysis of metal chlorides. The morphology of the coating was examined by scanning electron microscopy. The electrochemical properties of activated titanium anodes were investigated by cyclic voltammetry and polarization measurements in a H2SO4- and NaCl-containing electrolyte, as well as in seawater sampled on the Adriatic coast in Tivat, Montenegro. The anode stability during operation in seawater was investigated by the galvanostatic accelerated corrosion stability test. The morphology and electrochemical characteristics of the ternary coating are compared to that of a sol-gel-prepared binary Ti0.6Ru0.4O2 coating. The activity of the ternary coating was similar to that of the binary Ti0.6Ru0.4O2 coating in the investigated solutions. However, the stability in seawater is found to be considerably greater for the ternary coating.
Aktivirane titanske anode, Ti/RuO2 TiO2, i RuO2/ugljenicni kompoziti dobijeni su sol gel postupkom od neorganskih oksidnih solova. RuO2 i TiO2 solovi dobijeni su forsiranom hidrolizom RuCl3 u vodenom rastvoru HCl. Morfologija dobijenih solova ispitivana je transmisionom elektronskom mikroskopijom. Hemijski satav RuO2 sola i od njega dobijenih RuO2/ugljenicnih kompozita impregnacijom komercijalnih ugljenicnih prahova ispitivana je difrakcijom x zraka i termogravimetrijskom analizom. Ova ispitivanja pokazuju da su sitne oksidne cestice sacinjene od hidratisanog oksida. Morfologija kompozita i ugljenicnih prahova ispitivana je skenirajucom elektronskom mikroskopijom koja ukazuje na prisustvo oksida u impregniranom ugljenicnom prahu.
Mehanizam gubitka elektrokataliticke aktivnosti Ti/RuO2 TiO2 anoda ispitivan je pracenjem promena elektrohemijskih svojstava anode u reakcijama izdvajanja hlora i kiseonika, kao i na potencijalu otvorenog kola, u rastvorima NaCl i H2SO4 tokom degradacije anode. Ove elektrohemijske karakteristike anode ispitivane su metodama ciklicne voltametrije, spektroskopije elektrohemijske impedancije i polarizacionim mere¬njima. Stabilnost anoda je ispitivana ubrzanim testom stabilnosti u ras¬tvoru NaCl. Promene u elektrohemijskim svojstvima anode dobijene sol gel postupkom pore¬đene su sa promenama koje su registrovane za Ti/RuO2 TiO2 anodu dobijenu tradicionalnim postupkom termicke razgradnje hlorida metala. Na osnovu pomenutih ispitivanja proizilazi da je osnovni uzrok gubitka elektro¬kataliticke aktivnosti anode dobijene sol gel postupkom elek¬trohemijsko rastvaranje RuO2, dok je uzrok degradacije anode dobijene termickom razgra-dnjom rast neprovodnog TiO2 sloja u međufazi prevlaka/titanska podloga.
Aktivnost Ti/RuO2 TiO2 anoda za reakciju oksidacije fenola ispitivana je u kiselom ras¬tvoru metodama ciklicne voltametrije, hronoamperometrije i polarizacionim merenjima. Ustanovljeno je da se ova reakcija odigrava preko dva reakciona puta, koji daju polioksifenilenski film na povrsini anode i rastvorne hinonska jedinjenja kao krajnje proizvode reakcije. Polioksifenilenski film inhibira reakciju oksidacije fenola. Karakteristike filma ispitivane su metodom spektro¬skopije elektrohemijske impedancije.
Kapacitivne karakteristike RuO2/ugljenicnog kompozita ispitivane su metodama ciklicne voltametrije i spektroskopije elektrohemijske impedancije u rastvoru H2SO4. Kapacitivnost i raspodela kapacitivnosti kroz porozni sloj kompozita zavise od realne povrsine ugljenicnog substrata i od koncentracije oksidne faze u impregnirajucoj sredini, kao i od vremena formiranja oksidnog sola koriscenog za impregnaciju.