A kinetic analysis of the electro-oxidation of ethanol at a platinum electrode in acid medium

In order to establish the kinetic laws which govern the oxidation process of ethanol on smooth platinum electrodes in acid medium, electrolyses of ethanol were carried out under different experimental conditions. The influence of the initial ethanol concentration and of the potential plateau of electrolysis were investigated and allowed us to improve our understanding of the reaction mechanism. In addition, some ir reflectance spectroscopy experiments were performed to identify the adsorbed intermediates and the reaction products.