Electrocatalysis at vegetable oil water interface

Abstract

Biphasic oxygen reduction and hydrogen evolution are studied for almost two decades, because of favourable overpotential decrease as compared to aqueous solution. Until now, polar solvents (ε > 7) were employed as organic phase in these studies. Here, we applied non polar vegetable oils (rapeseed, linen or sunflower) for biphasic H2O2 generation by oxygen reduction. This product was detected at oil|aqueous acid solution interface by scanning electrochemical microscopy, when electron donor – decamethylferrocene, was electrochemically recycled. Ejection of small fraction of decamethylferrocenium cation from oil to aqueous phase was also noticed.