Voltammetric and rotating ring-disk studies of the influence of anions in the underpotential deposition of zinc on platinum

Abstract

The underpotential deposition of Zn on polycrystalline Pt was studied in three different acid solutions for different Zn2+ concentrations. The voltammetric charges and the inhibition promoted by the maximum coverage of Zn ads in the hydrogen adsorption and evolution reactions were used to postulate adsorption models. It was shown that the co-adsorption of anions HSO4-, ClO4- and F-, either on the substrate or on the ad-atoms, exerts a marked influence in the ad-layer nature. On Pt, the maximum values found for the redissolution charge were around 210 muC cm-2, except for 10-3 mol L-1 Zn2+ in fluoride medium where a value of 350 muC cm-2 was obtained. A negligible inhibition of the hydrogen evolution reaction was recorded in sulfuric and perchloric acid solutions while a strong inhibition was found for fluoride medium. These results were related to the interaction of the large oxy-anions either with the substrate or the ad-atoms. Collection experiments were performed with the rotating ring-disk electrode system (RRDE) and the results confirmed the large charge value obtained in the HF electrolyte. The experiments performed with the RDDE also demonstrated that the voltammetric peaks analyzed here are associated with UPD Zn.

Keywords

• underpotential deposition
• zinc
• ad-atoms
• hydrogen evolution reaction
• ad-anions