Quantitative DEMS study of ethanol oxidation: effect of surface structure and Sn surface modification.

Using the dual thin layer flow through cell, a semi-quantitative analysis of the volatile products during the electrooxidation of adsorbed and bulk solution of 0.01 M ethanol at polycrystalline platinum, smooth, roughened and Sn modified Pt(11,1,1), Pt(311) electrodes has been done by on-line differential electrochemical mass spectroscopy (DEMS). In addition to the current efficiency of CO(2), that of acetaldehyde was determined as a function of the flow rate. At polycrystalline platinum, ethanol oxidation produces only acetaldehyde; the amount of acetaldehyde further oxidized to acetic acid is negligible due to convection conditions. For comparison and for calibration purposes, i-propanol oxidation was examined for which acetone is the only oxidation product. At Pt(11,1,1), the main oxidation product is acetaldehyde. At Pt(311), in addition to acetaldehyde, acetic acid was also formed. Surface modification with Sn did not increase the reactivity of Pt(11,1,1) instead it led to inhibition of the ethanol oxidation. In the case of Pt(311), the onset potential of oxidation was shifted negatively by 0.2 V in the presence of Sn. The results of the potentiostatic measurements showed that this shift is not associated with the production of CO(2); rather acetic acid and acetaldehyde are the main oxidation products.