A critical comparison of electrochemical and surface X-ray scattering results at the Au(111) electrode in KBr solutions

Abstract

Electrochemical and surface X-ray scattering data are compared for the Au(111) electrode in 0.01 M KBr solution in 0.1 M KClO 4. The irreversible peaks in the voltammogram are well correlated with the scattered X-ray intensity from the reconstructed surface in both sweep directions. Surface charge and bromide coverage measured by the chronocoulometric technique are also correlated with the X-ray intensity. The reconstruction lifts over a potential region where the surface charge changes from − 10 to 20 μC cm −2 and the bromide coverage increases from 10% to 25% of its saturated coverage.