FORMATION OF CO DURING ADSORPTION ON PLATINUM-ELECTRODES OF METHANOL,FORMALDEHYDE, ETHANOL AND ACETALDEHYDE IN CARBONATE MEDIUM

By using voltammetric and subtractively normalized interfacial Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (SNIFTIRS) techniques it has been dem onstrated that C1 and C2 compounds (methanol, formaldehyde, ethanol an d acetaldehyde) are dissociatively and irreversibly adsorbed on polycr ystalline platinum surfaces in a carbonate medium, forming linear and multibonded CO. In this medium, the shape of the band corresponding to linearly bonded CO is monopolar as a consequence of the partial overl apping of the absolute absorption bands at each potential.