A scenario for oxygen reduction in alkaline media

ANNA IGNACZAK; LEANDRO PINTO; ELIZABETH SANTOS; ALEKSEJ GODULJAN; QUAINO, PAOLA MONICA; RENAT NAZMUTDINOV; FERNANDA JUAREZ; WOLFGANG SCHMICKLER

Nano Energy

Elsevier

Lugar: Georgia; Año: 2016 vol. 26 p. 558 - 564

We investigate oxygen reduction in alkaline solution with the focus on gold and silver electrodes. On thebasis of theoretical considerations we propose a detailed mechanism, which we support by explicitcalculations. In accordance with previous suggestions we conclude that the first step is an outer-sphereelectron transfer to the oxygen molecule. The breaking of he oxygen-oxygen bond involves adsorption ofOH on the electrode surface. This is much stronger on Au(100) than on Au(111), which explains why theformer is a better catalyst.