Adsorption and oxidation of ethanol on Pt and Sb, S modified Pt electrodesusing cyclic voltammetry and EQCM

The processes of adsorption and oxidation of ethanol on Pt, Pt,/Sb-ad and P t/S-ad electrodes were studied by using cyclic voltammetry and electrochemi cal quartz crystal microbalance (EQCM). The results demonstrate that the ox idation of ethanol depends strongly on oxidation states of the electrode su rface. Sb adatoms on Pt surface can adsorb oxygen at relatively low potenti als and exhibit catalytic effects for ethanol oxidation. In contrary, the o xidation of S adatoms consumes oxygen species of Pt electrode surface. As a consequence, the oxidation of ethanol was inhibited by the presence Of S-a d. The EQCM studies provide quantitative results of surface mass variation during ethanol oxidation and have thrown new light in elucidating different effects of adatoms Sb-ad and S-ad on Pt electrode surface towards ethanol oxidation.