Structure of Electrical Double Layer on Liquid Pb–Ga Alloy in Aqueous Electrolytes

Abstract

A new electrode, which is a liquid Pb–Ga alloy (0.06 at. % Pb), is developed and studied. It is shown that the alloy's double-layer characteristics dramatically differ from characteristics of a Ga electrode and are practically identical to characteristics of a Pb electrode. Hence, the Pb–Ga electrode in fact models electrochemical properties of a liquid Pb electrode. It is established that the “metallic” capacitance of the Pb–Ga electrode occupies an intermediate position between values of metallic capacitance of Ga and Hg electrodes, provided the metal–water chemisorption interaction is absent and the electrode charge is fixed. Hydrophilicity of the Pb–Ga electrode is substantially lower than hydrophilicity of a Ga electrode and coincides with hydrophilicity of an Hg electrode. It is shown that In–Ga, Cd–Ga, and Pb–Ga electrodes have close values of the electrochemical work function, and the chemisorption potential drop of the solvent in them increases in the series Pb–Ga < In–Ga < Cd–Ga with decreasing distance of closest approach of water molecules to the ionic core of the metal. The absorbability of anions at the Pb–Ga electrode increases in the series BF–4= SO2–4< Cl–< Br–< I–.