Towards understanding the role played by surface discontinuities on electrocatalytic activity

M.R. GENNERO DE CHIALVO; A.C. CHIALVO

Congreso; 223rd Meeting of The Electrochemical Society; 2013

The Electrochemical Society (ECS)

Electrocatalytic reactions can involve particular surface sites for each type of adsorbed reaction intermediates. Thus, the reactivity of such active sites depends strongly on their location and environment. It is proposed to evaluate the excess current, defined as the difference between the current drained by the electrode with surface discontinuities and the current obtained in model electrodes without such discontinuities, in identical experimental conditions. This new electrochemical variable, applied to the analysis of an electrocatalytic reaction, will be a measure of the corresponding contribution of the surface discontinuities to the electrocatalytic activity.