THE ELECTROCHEMICAL OXIDATION OF METHANOL ON PLATINUM AND PLATINUM PLUS RUTHENIUM PARTICULATE ELECTRODES STUDIED BY IN-SITU FTIR SPECTROSCOPY AND ELECTROCHEMICAL MASS-SPECTROMETRY

The technique of in-situ electrochemical Fourier transform IR spectros copy has been extended to the study of a real carbon-supported platinu m + ruthenium catalyst. Results are presented for the electro-oxidatio n of methanol at bulk Pt, Pt particles and carbon-black-supported Pt Ru electrodes. Marked differences are observed, particularly with reg ard to the nature of the adsorbed CO species. Additional electrochemic al mass spectrometry data support the suggestion made in a previous pa per that the migration of CO to the surface is an important part of th e reaction mechanism.