THE ROWLAND OR EDTA EFFECT ON ELECTROCHEMICAL-BEHAVIOR OF TRANSITION-METALS AND IN ELECTROCATALYSIS FOR THE HYDROGEN EVOLUTION REACTION - THE ROWLAND EFFECT ON SOME NONNOBLE NON-VALVE TRANSITION-METALS

The Rowland or EDTA effect for in situ, on situ, and ex situ undermini ng and cleaning removal of adhering surface oxides from metallic subst rates with depassivation and developing as cleaned-up exposed surfaces for hydrogen evolution, has been developed, tested, and presented upo n some non-noble non-valve metal (Ni, Fe, Co, Mo, W, Cr, V, Ag) electr odes in alkaline solution. Both achievements, the shift of potentials for hydrogen evolution towards more positive values and the removal of oxide layers were scanned by cyclic voltammetry and indicated by chan ges in characteristic charge capacity. The method is of substantial im portance for the electrocatalytic in situ activation of the hydrogen e volution reaction (HER) and/or oxygen reduction, organic electroreduct ion and cathodic hydrogenation processes, as well as for preparation o f both the substrate surface and particulate catalytic coatings (Raney -Ni, composite Raney alloys and other individual or in particular comp osite intermetallic phases as electrocatalysts) for advanced mutual co ntacts, one of fundamental questions in electrocatalysis.