Electrochemical Restructuring of Gold Electrodes with Redox Active Species to Create Electrocatalytically Active Nanostructured Surfaces

Publication date: Available online 10 February 2020Source: Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering AspectsAuthor(s): Panjaphong Lertsathitphong, Anthony P. O’Mullane, Benchaporn LertanantawongAbstractElectrochemical potential cycling of gold electrodes in commonly used redox active species to produce a nanostructured surface is introduced. A commercially available gold electrode when cycled in three redox active species including hexaammine ruthenium chloride, ferrocene methanol and ferricyanide shows rapid conversion of the surface into a nanostructured form within 50 cycles which usually requires hundreds of cycles in their absence. The active gold nanostructured electrode was characterized by cyclic voltammetry in acidic and alkaline electrolyte indicating the presence of different basal sites depending on the redox species employed. In addition, the active gold nanostructured surface shows higher electrocatalytic activity than the pristine polycrystalline gold electrode for glucose and ascorbic acid oxidation in alkaline media.Graphical abstractA rapid potential cycling method to modify the surface of a bulk gold electrode into an active electrocatalyst is presented which uses redox active species in solution to promote the restructuring process.
Source: Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects - Category: Chemistry Source Type: research