CATALYTIC DECOMPOSITION OF HYDROGEN-PEROXIDE IN ALKALINE-SOLUTION

The electrochemical reduction of the perhydroxyl ion (HO2-) at Ag, Pd, and Ni was studied chronopotentiometrically. The existence of a concentration gradient at OCV at the catalyst surface was taken into consideration. By determining the equivalent current flux, a critical term, iT, the transition current density was defined. Comparison of iT's for the three catalysts provided an indication of their catalytic activity for the decomposition of HO2- ion. Factoring iT into the classical Sand equation and relating the bulk and surface concentrations of the HO2- ion enabled calculation of the concentration profile within the effective diffusion layer. © 1979, The Electrochemical Society, Inc. All rights reserved.