ELECTROOXIDATION OF FORMIC-ACID AT A PLATINUM-ELECTRODE MODIFIED WITH ANILINE OR POLYANILINE

The HCOOH oxidation reaction on platinum coated with films of polyaniline and its monomer has been experimentally studied. It is shown that the steady-state adsorption of HCOOH (the radioactive tracer method is used) does not depend on the film thickness. The surface of platinum free for hydrogen deposition does not depend on the thickness of polymer coating either (the coverage of the platinum surface with polyaniline molecules, equal to its maximum coverage with aniline, approximately 0.7). HCOOH oxidation occurs on the base, polyaniline and aniline are only modifiers of the platinum surface (they modify the oxidation conditions). The promoting effect of aniline (in the case of its maximum coverage of platinum surface) as modifier on the HCOOH oxidation is more pronounced than that of polyaniline. © 1990.