Oxygen Reduction on Amalgamated Platinum Electrodes Coated with Monolayers of Cetyl Alcohol and Stearic Acid

Abstract

Oxygen reduction on an amalgamated platinum electrode with a monolayer of cetyl alcohol or stearic acid is studied. It is shown that the process proceeds inside the monolayer, most probably, at a certain distance from the metal; an electron is transferred to the reagent by the “superexchange” mechanism. The process characteristics depend on competition between several factors: the electron transfer distance, the potential drop between the electrode and the reagent in a given site in the monolayer, and the hydrogen ion concentration distribution across the film. The penetration of H+ inside the film appears to be responsive to the monolayer structure.