Cleavage of the C-C bond during the electrooxidation of 1-propanol and 2-propanol : Effect of the Pt morphology and of codeposited Ru

The electrooxidation of 0.1 M 1-propanol and 2-propanol in 0.1 M HClO4 on smooth Pt and electrodeposited Pt and Pt0.89Ru0.11 was studied by cyclic voltammetry and in situ Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIRS). On smooth Pt, CO2 as well as partially oxidized products (propionic acid from 1-propanol and acetone from 2-propanol) was detected. A strong catalytic enhancement toward the oxidation to CO2 is observed on electrodeposited Pt for both 2-propanol and 1-propanol, thus showing the effect of the roughness of the electrode on the electrooxidation process. However, propionic acid from 1-propanol and acetone from 2-propanol were still detected. In contrast to these results, CO2 was the only oxidation product on Pt0.89Ru0.11 for both alcohols.