Electrocatalysis by adatoms at the gold and silver dissolution in cyanide solutions

Abstract

The peculiarities of the effects of upd thallium, lead, bismuth, and mercury on the dissolution rates of gold and silver in cyanide electrolytes are compared. In general, they feature the abrupt acceleration of the dissolution of gold and, to a lesser extend, silver in the chemisorption range of mentioned ions. As the potential increases, the gold dissolution rates passes through a maximum the height of which is comparable with the limiting current of this process associated with limitations in the delivery of cyanide ions to the electrode surface. The current decay after the maximum is due to desorption of catalytically active adatoms. The chemisorption rate of thallium, lead, and bismuth ions at potentials more negative than the current peak is controlled by their diffusion to the gold surface, whereas the chemisorption rate of mercury is controlled by the adsorption kinetics. With the increase in the surface coverage with adatoms θ, the catalytic activity of all considered adatoms passes through a maximum. The sharp increase in the effective transfer coefficient in the presence of these adatoms makes the main contribution into the acceleration of the gold dissolution, while the increase in the exchange current has a smaller effect. The chemisorption of mentioned atoms on gold not only accelerates the dissolution but also changes its mechanism. For gold dissolution, the catalytic activity of upd thallium, lead, and bismuth increases in the following sequence: Tl ≪ Pb < Bi and the effect is additive in their simultaneous presence. For silver, the increase in the exchange current makes the main contribution into the acceleration of dissolution, whereas the transfer coefficient and the reaction order with respect to the ligand change insignificantly. Explanation of the observed peculiarities is given.