Effects of the anion adsorption and pH on the formic acid oxidation reaction on Pt(111) electrodes

Pt-Coated Ni Layer Supported on Ni Foam for Enhanced Electro-Oxidation of Formic Acid

A Pt-coated Ni layer supported on a Ni foam catalyst (denoted PtNi/Nifoam) was investigated for the electro-oxidation of the formic acid (FAO) in acidic media. The prepared PtNi/Nifoam catalyst was studied as a function of the formic acid (FA) concentration at bare Pt and PtNi/Nifoam catalysts. The catalytic activity of the PtNi/Nifoam catalysts, studied on the basis of the ratio of the direct and indirect current peaks (jd)/(jnd) for the FAO reaction, showed values approximately 10 times higher compared to those on bare Pt, particularly at low FA concentrations, reflecting the superiority of the former catalysts for the electro-oxidation of FA to CO2. Ni foams provide a large surface area for the FAO, while synergistic effects between Pt nanoparticles and Ni-oxy species layer on Ni foams contribute significantly to the enhanced electro-oxidation of FA via the direct pathway, making it almost equal to the indirect pathway, particularly at low FA concentrations.

pH Effects in a Model Electrocatalytic Reaction Disentangled

Varying the solution pH not only changes the reactant concentrations in bulk solution but also the local reaction environment (LRE) that is shaped furthermore by macroscopic mass transport and microscopic electric double layer (EDL) effects. Understanding ubiquitous pH effects in electrocatalysis requires disentangling these interwoven factors, which is a difficult, if not impossible, task without physical modeling. Herein, we demonstrate how a hierarchical model that integrates microkinetics, double-layer charging, and macroscopic mass transport can help understand pH effects of the formic acid oxidation reaction (FAOR). In terms of the relation between the peak activity and the solution pH, intrinsic pH effects without consideration of changes in the LRE would lead to a bell-shaped curve with a peak at pH = 6. Adding only macroscopic mass transport, we can already reproduce qualitatively the experimentally observed trapezoidal shape with a plateau between pH 5 and 10 in perchlorate and sulfate solutions. A quantitative agreement with experimental data requires consideration of EDL effects beyond Frumkin correlations. Specifically, the peculiar nonmonotonic surface charging relation affects the free energies of adsorbed intermediates. We further discuss pH effects of FAOR in phosphate and chloride-containing solutions, for which anion adsorption becomes important. This study underpins the importance of a full consideration of multiple interrelated factors for the interpretation of pH effects in electrocatalysis.

The electrostatic effect and its role in promoting electrocatalytic reactions by specifically adsorbed anions

The adsorption of anions and its impact on electrocatalytic reactions are fundamental topics in electrocatalysis. Previous studies revealed that adsorbed anions display an overall poisoning effect in most cases. However, for a few reactions such as the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), oxidation of small organic molecules (SOMs), and reduction of CO₂ and O₂, some specifically adsorbed anions can promote their reaction kinetics under certain conditions. The promotion effect is frequently attributed to the adsorbate induced modification of the nature of the active sites, the change of the adsorption configuration and free energy of the key reactive intermediate which consequently change the activation energy, the pre-exponential factor of the rate determining step etc. In this paper, we will give a mini review of the indispensable role of the classical double layer effect in enhancing the kinetics of electrocatalytic reactions by anion adsorption. The ubiquitous electrostatic interactions change both the potential distribution and the concentration distribution of ionic species across the electric double layer (EDL), which alters the electrochemical driving force and effective concentration of the reactants. The contribution to the overall kinetics is highlighted by taking HER, oxidation of SOMs, reduction of CO₂ and O₂, as examples.

Kinetics of formic acid dehydration on Pt electrodes by time-resolved ATR-SEIRAS

The potential dependence of the rate of dehydration of formic acid to adsorbed CO (CO_ad) on Pt at pH 1 has been studied on a polycrystalline Pt surface by time-resolved surface-enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy in the attenuated total reflection mode (ATR-SEIRAS) with simultaneous recording of current transients after a potential step. A range of formic acid concentrations has been used to obtain a deeper insight into the mechanism of the reaction. The experiments have allowed us to confirm that the potential dependence of the rate of dehydration has a bell shape, going through a maximum around the potential of zero total charge (pztc) of the most active site. The analysis of the integrated intensity and frequency of the bands corresponding to CO_L and CO_B/M shows a progressive population of the active sites on the surface. The observed potential dependence of the rate of formation of CO_ad is consistent with a mechanism in which the reversible electroadsorption of HCOO_ad is followed by its rate-determining reduction to CO_ad.

Enhanced electrocatalytic activity of Cu-modified, high-index single Pt NPs for formic acid oxidation

A key goal of nanoparticle-based catalysis research is to correlate the structure of nanoparticles (NPs) to their catalytic function. The most common approach for achieving this goal is to synthesize ensembles of NPs, characterize the ensemble, and then evaluate its catalytic properties. This approach is effective, but it excludes the certainty of structural heterogeneity in the NP ensemble. One means of addressing this shortcoming is to carry out analyses on individual NPs. This approach makes it possible to establish direct correlations between structures of single NPs and, in the case reported here, their electrocatalytic properties. Accordingly, we report on enhanced electrocatalytic formic acid oxidation (FAO) activity using individual Cu-modified, high-indexed Pt NPs. The results show that the Cu-modified Pt NPs exhibit significantly higher currents for FAO than the Pt-only analogs. The increased activity is enabled by the Cu submonolayer on the highly stepped Pt surface, which enhances the direct FAO pathway but not the indirect pathway which proceeds via surface-absorbed CO*.

Single-crystal Pt nanoparticles with a diameter of ∼200 nm were electrosynthesized, covered with a single monolayer of Cu, and then fully characterized. The resulting materials exhibit excellent electrocatalytic properties for formic acid oxidation.

How Buffers Resist Electrochemical Reaction-Induced pH Shift under a Rotating Disk Electrode Configuration

In mild acidic or alkaline solutions with limited buffer capacity, the pH at the electrode/electrolyte interface (pH^s) may change significantly when the supply of H⁺ (or OH^-) is slower than its consumption or production by the electrode reaction. Buffer pairs are usually applied to resist the change of pH^s during the electrochemical reaction. In this work, by taking H₂X ⇄ 2H⁺ + X + 2e^- under a rotating disk electrode configuration as a model reaction, numerical simulations are carried out to figure out how pH^s changes with the reaction rate in solutions of different bulk pHs (pH^b in the range from 0 to 14) and in the presence of buffer pairs with different pK_a values and concentrations. The quantitative relation of pH^s, pH^b, pK_a, and concentration of buffer pairs as well as of the reaction current density is established. Diagrams of pH^s and ΔpH (ΔpH = pH^s - pH^b) as a function of pH^b and the reaction current density as well as of the j_max-pH^b plots are provided, where j_max is defined as the maximum allowable current density within the acceptable tolerance of deviation of pH^s from that of pH^b (e.g., ΔpH < 0.2). The j-pH^s diagrams allow one to estimate the pH^s and ΔpH without direct measurement. The j_max-pH^b plots may serve as a guideline for choosing buffer pairs with appropriate pK_a and concentration to mitigate the pH^s shift induced by electrode reactions.

Adsorption processes on a Pd monolayer-modified Pt(111) electrode

Specific adsorption of anions is an important aspect in surface electrochemistry for its influence on reaction kinetics in either a promoted or inhibited fashion. Perchloric acid is typically considered as an ideal electrolyte for investigating electrocatalytic reactions due to the lack of specific adsorption of the perchlorate anion on several metal electrodes. In this work, cyclic voltammetry and computational methods are combined to investigate the interfacial processes on a Pd monolayer deposited on Pt(111) single crystal electrode in perchloric acid solution. The “hydrogen region” of this Pd_MLPt(111) surface exhibits two voltammetric peaks: the first “hydrogen peak” at 0.246 V_RHE actually involves the replacement of hydrogen by hydroxyl, and the second “hydrogen peak” H_II at 0.306 V_RHE appears to be the replacement of adsorbed hydroxyl by specific perchlorate adsorption. The two peaks merge into a single peak when a more strongly adsorbed anion, such as sulfate, is involved. Our density functional theory calculations qualitatively support the peak assignment and show that anions generally bind more strongly to the Pd_MLPt(111) surface than to Pt(111).

Specific adsorption of anions is an important aspect in surface electrochemistry for its influence on reaction kinetics in either a promoted or inhibited fashion.

Phase diagrams and dynamical evolution of the triple-pathway electro-oxidation of formic acid on platinum

A detailed numerical study including stability phase diagrams for the dynamical evolution of the electro-oxidation of formic acid on platinum was reported. The study evidences the existence of intertwined stability phases and the absence of chaos.

Adsorption of Acetate on Au(111): An in-situ Scanning Tunnelling Microscopy Study and Implications on Formic Acid Electrooxidation

The adsorption of acetate on an Au(111) electrode surface in contact with acetic acid at pH 2.7 was imaged in-situ using scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM). Two different ordered structures were imaged for acetate adsorbed in the bidentate configuration on the unreconstructed 1 × 1 surface at 0.95 V (vs. the saturated calomel electrode, SCE). The first structure, ( 19 × 19 ) R 23 . 45 ∘ , is metastable and transforms at constant potential within 20 minutes to a ( 2 × 2 ) structure, which is thermodynamically more favourable. The ( 2 × 2 ) acetate adlayer starts to form at step edges and propagates via nucleation and growth onto terraces. The findings from in-situ STM are in agreement with the electrochemical behaviour of acetate on Au(111) characterized by voltammetry. A comparison is made with formate adsorption on Au(111). While acetate is not reactive, in contrast to formate, it can act as a spectator species in formic acid electrooxidation.

Effects of the Interfacial Structure on the Methanol Oxidation on Platinum Single Crystal Electrodes

Methanol oxidation has been studied on low index platinum single crystal electrodes using methanol solutions with different pH (1–5) in the absence of specific adsorption. The goal is to determine the role of the interfacial structure in the reaction. The comparison between the voltammetric profiles obtained in the presence and absence of methanol indicates that methanol oxidation is only taking place when the surface is partially covered by adsorbed OH. Thus, on the Pt(111) electrode, the onset for the direct oxidation of methanol and the adsorption of OH coincide. In this case, the adsorbed OH species are not a mere spectator, because the obtained results for the reaction order for methanol and the proton concentrations indicate that OH adsorbed species are involved in the reaction mechanism. On the other hand, the dehydrogenation step to yield adsorbed CO on the Pt(100) surface coincides with the onset of OH adsorption on this electrode. It is proposed that adsorbed OH collaborates in the dehydrogenation step during methanol oxidation, facilitating either the adsorption of the methanol in the right configuration or the cleavage of the C—H bond.

Random Alloyed versus Intermetallic Nanoparticles: A Comparison of Electrocatalytic Performance

As synthetic methods advance for metal nanoparticles, more rigorous studies of structure-function relationships can be made. Many electrocatalytic processes depend on the size, shape, and composition of the nanocatalysts. Here, the properties and electrocatalytic behavior of random alloyed and intermetallic nanoparticles are compared. Beginning with an introduction of metallic nanoparticles for catalysis and the unique features of bimetallic compositions, the discussion transitions to case studies of nanoscale electrocatalysts where direct comparisons of alloy and intermetallic compositions are undertaken for methanol electrooxidation, formic acid electrooxidation, the oxygen reduction reaction, and the electroreduction of carbon dioxide (CO2 ). Design and synthesis strategies for random alloyed and intermetallic nanoparticles are discussed, with an emphasis on Pt-M and Cu-M compositions as model systems. The differences in catalytic performance between alloys and intermetallic nanoparticles are highlighted in order to provide an outlook for future electrocatalyst design.

Formate adsorption on Pt nanoparticles during formic acid electro-oxidation: insights from in situ infrared spectroscopy

Adsorbed formate is observed on a supported Pt nanoparticle for the first time during formic acid electro-oxidation. Bands assigned to OCO stretching and CH bending reveal some OCO but little CH bond weakening on adsorption compared to the free anion. The formate potential dependence is similar to polycrystalline electrodes while adsorbed CO persists up to +1.2 V, 0.5 V higher than on polycrystalline Pt.

Speciation of Adsorbed Phosphate at Gold Electrodes: A Combined Surface-Enhanced Infrared Absorption Spectroscopy and DFT Study

Despite the significance of phosphate buffer solutions in (bio)electrochemistry, detailed adsorption properties of phosphate anions at metal surfaces remain poorly understood. Herein, phosphate adsorption at quasi-Au(111) surfaces prepared by a chemical deposition technique has been systematically investigated over a wide range of pH by surface-enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy in the ATR configuration (ATR-SEIRAS). Two different pH-dependent states of adsorbed phosphate are spectroscopically detected. Together with DFT calculations, the present study reveals that pKa for adsorbed phosphate species at the interface is much lower than that for phosphate species in the bulk solution; the dominant phosphate anion, H2PO4(-) at 2 < pH < 7 or HPO4(2-) at 7 < pH < 12, undergoes deprotonation upon adsorption and transforms into the adsorbed HPO4 or PO4, respectively. This study leads to a conclusion different than earlier spectroscopic studies have reached, highlighting the capability of the ATR-SEIRAS technique at electrified metal-solution interfaces.

The effect of temperature on the coupled slow and fast dynamics of an electrochemical oscillator

The coupling among disparate time-scales is ubiquitous in many chemical and biological systems. We have recently investigated the effect of fast and, long-term, slow dynamics in surface processes underlying some electrocatalytic reactions. Herein we report on the effect of temperature on the coupled slow and fast dynamics of a model system, namely the electro-oxidation of formic acid on platinum studied at five temperatures between 5 and 45 °C. The main result was a turning point found at 25 °C, which clearly defines two regions for the temperature dependency on the overall kinetics. In addition, the long-term evolution allowed us to compare reaction steps related to fast and slow evolutions. Results were discussed in terms of the key role of PtO species, which chemically couple slow and fast dynamics. In summary we were able to: (a) identify the competition between two reaction steps as responsible for the occurrence of two temperature domains; (b) compare the relative activation energies of these two steps; and (c) suggest the role of a given reaction step on the period-increasing set of reactions involved in the oscillatory dynamics. The introduced methodology could be applied to other systems to uncover the temperature dependence of complex chemical networks.

Optimal Electrocatalytic Pd/MWNTs Nanocatalysts toward Formic Acid Oxidation

The operating conditions such as composition of electrolyte and temperature can greatly influence the formic acid (HCOOH) oxidation reaction (FAOR). Palladium decorated multi-walled carbon nanotubes (Pd/MWNTs) were successfully synthesized and employed as nanocatalysts to explore the effects of formic acid, sulfuric acid (H₂SO₄) concentration and temperature on FAOR. Both the hydrogen adsorption in low potential range and the oxidation of poisoning species during the high potential range in cyclic voltammetry were demonstrated to contribute to the enhanced electroactivity of Pd/MWNTs. The as-synthesized Pd/MWNTs gave the best performance under a condition with balanced adsorptions of HCOOH and H₂SO₄ molecules. The dominant dehydrogenation pathway on Pd/MWNTs can be largely depressed by the increased dehydration pathway, leading to an increased charge transfer resistance (R_ct ). Increasing HCOOH concentration could directly increase the dehydration process proportion and cause the production of CO_ads species. H₂SO₄ as donor of H⁺ greatly facilitated the onset oxidation of HCOOH in the beginning process but it largely depressed the HCOOH oxidation with excess amount of H⁺. Enhanced ion mobility with increasing the temperature was mainly responsible for the increased current densities, improved tolerance stabilities and reduced R_ct values, while dehydration process was also increased simultaneously.

Formic acid oxidation on platinum: a simple mechanistic study

Formic acid oxidation on Pt(111) under electrocatalytic conditions occurs when a formate anion approaches the Pt(111) surface in the CH-down orientation, and barrierlessly releases carbon dioxide as the H binds to the surface.

Electrocatalysis of formic acid on palladium and platinum surfaces: from fundamental mechanisms to fuel cell applications

A brief overview is presented on recent progress in mechanistic studies of formic acid oxidation, synthesis of novel Pd- and Pt-based nanocatalysts and their practical applications in direct formic acid fuel cells.