We recorded vibrational spectra of the CO poison resulting from the electrochemical decomposition of CH 3OH on platinum by sum-frequency generation using the infrared free electron laser CLIO. At high CH 3OH concentration (⩾0.1 M) in the electrolyte, both multi-bonded and linearly bonded CO are equally present. At lower CH 3OH concentration (0.004 M), the multi-bonded species is predominant. The CO poison still remains on the surface at potentials (0.05 V/NHE) close to the hydrogen evolution onset.
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