Glow Discharge Electrolysis of Aqueous Sulfuric Acid Solution in Various Atmosphere

Abstract

The anode glow discharge electrolysis was carried out in aqueous sulfuric acid solution, and the yields of oxidation products, , , and , were examined in various atmospheric gases, , He, , and Ar. When the vapor pressure of water was suppressed by means of intermittent electrolysis, the yields of the peroxides were found to depend clearly on the atmospheric gases. The plasma diagnostics, emission spectra, double‐probe method, etc., revealed that the plasma state in the gas phase depended on the gases that contained significant amounts of water vapor. Comparing the oxidation yields with the results on the plasma diagnostics, it was found that (i) the radical formation in the gas phase does not necessarily correspond to that in the solution phase, and (ii) the gases that contained light‐charged particles (H+ and He+), i.e. and He, gave high oxidation yields. Since the light‐charged particles, which will gain high acceleration energy in the cathode, fall adjacent to the surface of the electrolyte solution, the high oxidation yields in He and were ascribed to the high yield of OH radical due to the energy transfer from such particles penetrating into the solution phase.