Hydrogen evolution during the oxidation of formaldehyde on Au:

Hydrogen evolution during formaldehyde oxidation in alkaline solution has been monitored by Differential Electrochemical Mass Spectrometry on Au(111) and polycrystalline gold. The current efficiency for hydrogen evolution increases with higher concentration and is in the same range on both, polycrystalline Au and Au(111) electrode. The onset potentials and half-wave potentials are higher on Au(111). Reaction orders for the faradaic current on the bare gold electrodes have been determined as 0.21 for higher and 0.76 for lower concentrations. Reaction orders for hydrogen evolution during formaldehyde oxidation are 1.4 times higher in each case. Tafel slopes in the range of 140–160 mV are found. This signifies that the first reaction step involving the formation of adsorbed hydrogen is largely determining the overall reaction rate. In the presence of thallium adlayers hydrogen evolution from formaldehyde oxidation is largely suppressed. On the thallium modified polycrystalline Au, formaldehyde oxidation is shifted for 100 mV to higher potentials where Tl is partially desorbed and hydroxide is coadsorbed on the modified surface. On thallium modified Au(111), a similar process takes place, but in the same potential region as the onset of formaldehyde oxidation on the bare surface and therefore the formaldehyde oxidation is only slightly shifted. Tafel slopes are decreased to 80 mV/dec in the presence of thallium. In the presence of adsorbed thallium, the first reaction step is in equilibrium, the coverage with adsorbed hydrogen is smaller and its recombination to H2 is largely suppressed.