Impact of water concentration on the electro-oxidation of methanol on platinum

• Grant number: 17/00168-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: April 01, 2017
• End date: March 31, 2018
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Chemistry - Physical-Chemistry
• Principal Investigator: Hamilton Brandão Varela de Albuquerque
• Grantee: Rafael Luiz Romano
• Host Institution: Instituto de Química de São Carlos (IQSC). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Carlos , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 13/16930-7 - Electrocatalysis V: electrocatalytic processes of chemical and electrical energy interconversion, AP.TEM

Abstract

The electro-oxidation of small organic molecules on platinum commonly occurs by a mechanism that involves different reaction pathways and several steps of adsorption and desorption of species. In general, these reactions take place via parallel pathways, in which direct and indirect routes occur simultaneously. The electro-oxidation of methanol on platinum has a mechanism that shows these features, which may result in dynamic instabilities. Under constant current conditions, potential oscillations are observed during the electro-oxidation of methanol on platinum, in acid media; the study of such oscillations allows at obtaining detailed information about the reaction mechanism. The reaction kinetics, as well the selectivity and distribution of products, are affected by several variables, such as temperature, alcohol concentration, identity of the supporting electrolyte and water concentration. The objective of this proposal is to investigate the influence of water concentration on the electro-oxidation of methanol on polycrystalline platinum, using phosphoric acid as supporting electrolyte. The focus is on the investigation of the impact of water concentration on kinetic parameters, like the reaction order with respect to water, as a function of the applied potential. On the other hand, the effect of water concentration and temperature on the oscillatory dynamics will be also studied in detail. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

ROMANO, RAFAEL L.; OLIVEIRA, MURILO G.; VARELA, HAMILTON. The Impact of Water Concentration on the Electro-Oxidation of Methanol on Platinum. Journal of the Electrochemical Society, v. 167, n. 4, FEB 21 2020. (17/00168-0, 13/16930-7)