Electrocatalytic reduction of oxalic acid on platinum based Pb-Sb surface alloy electrode

Abstract

The platinum based Pb-Sb surface alloy supported on glassy carbon prepared by electrochemical codeposition has been applied to the reduction of oxalic acid. The results demonstrated that the surface alloy electrode exhibited a high activity, and reduced significantly the overpotential. In comparison with a lead cathode that was used usually in industry for the reduction of oxalic acid, the onset potential of oxalic acid reduction was shifted positively from -1.0 V on Pb to -0.4 V on the surface alloy electrode. The main product species were determined as glyoxylic acid by using in situ FTIR spectroscopy, illustrating that the surface alloy electrode exhibited also a high selectivity towards oxalic acid reduction.