An in-situ electrochemical SERS investigation of C3 polyols electro-oxidation on Ag@Pt electrode in alkaline electrolyte.
Electrochemical processes are among one of the main methods of obtaining products with greater value, one of the advantages in using this type of process is the use of low energies in the materials conversion processes. Since the development of the potentiostat, studies involving metallic catalysts have increased exponentially over the years, especially on noble metals, following this scenario, studies have focused on investigating the products formed during the application of potential in order to clarify the reaction mechanism of these species, and therefore to develop the best electrocatalyst for the desired product.
The electrocatalytic performance of Ag roughened electrode decorated with Pt atoms in alkaline medium was performed in order to investigate the products formed during the electrooxidation process of the C3 polyalcohols using in situ Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS). It was found that at the end of reaction not only CO, but CH compounds remaining strongly adsorbed on the surface of the electrode after the electrochemical reaction leading a set of species blocking the surface electrode. In addition, it was found that formation of carboxylic acids is mainly formed when the C3 polyalcohol’s have vicinal OH such as glycerol and 1,2-Propanediol (1,2-PPD), when 1,3-propanediol (1,3-PPD) is in the system only CO adsorbed could be found as a poising compound on the surface of the electrode