Electrochemical and spectroscopic studies of hydroxide adsorption at the Au(111) electrode

The adsorption of hydroxide ions at a Au(111) single-crystal electrode has been investigated quantitatively using chronocoulometry and subtractively normalized interfacial Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (SNIFTIRS). By thermodynamic analysis of the charge density data, the Gibbs excess, Gibbs energy of adsorption, and number of electrons flowing to the interface per one adsorbed hydroxide ion at a constant electrode potential (electrosorption valency) were determined. The electrosorption data indicate that the adsorption of OH- has a three-state character. The adsorbed OH- forms quite a polar surface bond at a negatively charged surface, while the polarity of the surface bond is significantly decreased at positive charge densities. Oxide formation begins at higher charge densities. Infrared spectroscopy shows that oxide formation takes place when the surface concentration of hydroxide ions exceeds one-third of a monolayer. The integrated infrared intensity of the O-H stretching band correlates very well with the Gibbs excess of hydroxide determined by chronocoulometry.