NON-FARADAIC CATALYSIS - THE CASE OF CO OXIDATION OVER AG-PD ALLOY ELECTRODE IN A SOLID OXIDE ELECTROLYTE CELL

Studies of carbon monoxide oxidation on an Ag-25 at% Pd alloy electrod e in a cell with a solid oxygen-conducting electrolyte -CO + O-2, Ag-P d \ 0.9ZrO(2) + 0.1Y(2)O(3) \ Pt + PrO2-x, air-were carried out. XRD, SEM and XPS techniques were used for characterisation of the Ag-Pd all oy electrode. The non-Faradaic effect of electrochemical oxygen pumpin g on the rate of carbon monoxide oxidation was demonstrated. The induc ed change in the reaction rate at cathodic polarization of the Ag-Pd a lloy electrode was an order of magnitude higher than the rate of oxyge n pumping from the reaction zone through the electrolyte. The observed phenomenon was qualitatively explained on the base of a chain reactio n mechanism involving electrochemically generated oxygen species.