Solid electrolyte cyclic voltammetry for in situ investigation of catalyst surfaces

• Published in: Journal of catalysis 1991-05, Vol.129 (1), p.67-87
• Main Authors: Vayenas, C.G., Ioannides, A., Bebelis, S.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 02 PETROLEUM; 020400 - Petroleum- Processing; 400102 - Chemical & Spectral Procedures; 400201 - Chemical & Physicochemical Properties; Adsorption; ALKENES; CATALYSTS; CATALYTIC EFFECTS; CHEMICAL REACTIONS; CHEMISORPTION; Chemistry; CHROMATOGRAPHY; ELECTROCHEMICAL CELLS; Electrochemistry; ELECTRODES; ELECTROLYTES; ELEMENTS; ETHYLENE; Exact sciences and technology; GAS CHROMATOGRAPHY; General and physical chemistry; HYDROCARBONS; INFRARED SPECTRA; INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY; MASS SPECTROSCOPY; METALS; NONMETALS; ORGANIC COMPOUNDS; OXIDATION; OXYGEN; PERFORMANCE TESTING; PLATINUM; PLATINUM METALS; POROSITY; SEPARATION PROCESSES; SOLID ELECTROLYTES; SORPTION; SORPTIVE PROPERTIES; SPECTRA; SPECTROSCOPY; Study of interfaces; SURFACE PROPERTIES; TESTING; TRANSITION ELEMENTS; VOLTAMETRY
• ISSN: 0021-9517; 1090-2694
• DOI: 10.1016/0021-9517(91)90010-2

The technique of cyclic linear potential sweep chronoamperometry, more commonly termed cyclic voltammetry, has been applied for the first time, in conjunction with on-line mass spectrometry, IR spectroscopy, and gas chromatography, to investigate the chemisorptive and catalytic properties of porous metal catalyst films also functioning as electrodes in solid electrolyte cells. The cases of O 2 adsorption and C 2H 4 oxidation on Pt were examined. It was found that solid electrolyte cyclic voltammetry (SECV), which causes a cyclic variation in catalyst work function, provides useful in situ information about the coverage of adsorbed species and also about the occurence of non-Faradaic electrochemical modification of catalytic activity (NEMCA effect) on the catalyst surface. The technique also permits estimation of the “length” of the catalyst-solid electrolyte-gas three-phase boundaries.