EMS STUDY OF THE CATHODIC H-D SEPARATION FACTOR AT GOLD ELECTRODES IN SULFURIC-ACID

The cathodic H/D separation factor (SD) at gold electrodes was studied with respect to its dependence on overpotential, time of electrolysis, and deuterium enrichment. All experiments were performed in sulfuric acid and under potentiostatic control. The evolved gas was on-line transferred through a porous hydrophobic electrode into a mass spectrometer there being analyzed directly. The results showed no influence of the applied overpotential between -100 and -600 mV RHE on the separation factor, which has a value of 5.3±0.2. A time dependence of SD could not be noticed within 11 h of experiment. Between 0.5 and 4.7% deuterium enrichment the average separation factor remained constant with 5.2±0.4. © 1979 Elsevier Sequoia S.A.