Influence of aromatic reactants and products involved in the two stage electrochemical oxidation on the voltammetric behaviour of Ce(IV)/Ce(III) redox couple

Abstract

The redox behaviour of the Ce(IV)/Ce(III) couple in 1.0 M nitric acid, 1.0 M sulfuric acid, 1.0 M perchloric acid and in different concentrations of methane sulfonic acid was investigated on a glassy carbon electrode using cyclic voltammetry. Quasi reversible redox behaviour with low ΔEp value of 200 mV and below were observed in 1.0 M sulfuric acid and high concentrations of methane sulfonic acid. Anionic complexes apparently exist in this media. The reactants and products involved in the indirect oxidations are found to influence cerous/ceric redox behaviour in 2.0 M methane sulfonic acid in three distinct ways: (i) in the presence of cerous methane sulfonate organic compounds such as toluene, benzaldehyde and naphthaquinone do not exhibit substantial inhibitive effects; (ii) compounds such as p-xylene and p-tolualdehyde exhibit some inhibitive effect at higher concentrations; and (iii) compounds like naphthalene, p-ethoxy toluene and p-ethoxy benzaldehyde exhibit a fairly high level of inhibitive effect.