The role of electrolyte concentration in the decomposition of water and generation of electrons under conditions of anodic microdischarges

Abstract

The dependence of the yield of water decomposition (from the measured yield of formation of hydrogen peroxide and yield of scavenging of OH radicals by isopropanol), as well as the yield of electron scavenging by a solute (nitrobenzene), on the concentration of aqueous electrolyte (sodium tetraborate and ammonium tetraborate) solutions under the action of anodic microdischarges was determined. Nonmonotonic functions were found, which exhibited maximums at 0.03 and 0.1 M concentrations for water decomposition and electrons, respectively. The results were explained by an increase in the fraction of anionic current through the discharge plasma-liquid cathode interface as the electrolyte concentration was increased.