skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Electrode kinetics of oxygen reduction at platinum in fuel cell electrolytes

Thesis/Dissertation ·
OSTI ID:6425132

The objective of this work is to investigate the electrolyte effects on the kinetics of oxygen reduction reaction at platinum in room temperature. The rotating ring-disc electrode technique, dropping mercury electrode method and cyclic voltammetry are used in this work. The electrolytes such as phosphoric acid, trifluoromethane sulfuric acid, sulfonic acid, perchloric acid and potassium hydroxide are under investigation. From the results, the following conclusions can be made: 1) the model proposed by Damjanovic, Genshaw and Bockris satisfied the rotating ring-disc data for O/sub 2/ reduction in H/sub 3/PO/sub 4/, H/sub 2/SP/sub 4/, HClO/sub 4/ and KOH over a wide range of electrode potential; 2) at pH = 0, the electrolyte effects on the characteristics of electrode surface and kinetics are minor; 3) the double layer at Hg - H/sub 3/PO/sub 4/ interface is thicker than that at Hg - H/sub 2/O interface; 4) the solvent structure change (from H/sub 2/O to H/sub 3/PO/sub 4/) occurs at about 56% H/sub 3/PO/sub 4/ (H/sub 2/O = H/sub 3/PO/sub 4/ = 4.1). The slowness of O/sub 2/ reduction kinetics at high concentration of H/sub 3/PO/sub 4/ is also due to low O/sub 2/ solubility and low proton activity; 5) the specific adsorption of TFMSA anion on Hg is weaker than phosphate ions, and it decreases with increasing temperature (from 25 to 40/sup 0/C). The reaction order with respect to O/sub 2/ in TFMSA is less than one over the concentration range of TFMSA from 0.05 M to 6.0 M.

Research Organization:
Clarkson Coll. of Tech., Potsdam, NY (USA)
OSTI ID:
6425132
Resource Relation:
Other Information: Thesis (Ph. D.)
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English