The electrooxidation of borohydride: A mechanistic study on palladium (Pd/C) applying RRDE, 11B-NMR and {FTIR}

By Grimmer, Christoph; Grandi, Maximilian; Zacharias, Robert; Cermenek, Bernd; Weber, Hansj
Published in Applied Catalysis B: Environmental NULL 2016

Abstract

Abstract Electrochemical borohydride oxidation reaction, intermediates and reaction products are studied by cyclic voltammetry with rotating disk electrodes, chronoamperometry coupled with 11B {NMR} spectroscopy and in-situ {FTIR} measurements. Depending on the electrode potential of a Pd/C catalyst on a rotating disk electrode the number of exchanged electrons varies between four and eight. By employing chronoamperometry the boron species are analyzed during the ongoing reaction with NMR. During all experiments no boron products other than BO2? are detected. Incomplete borohydride consumption during the chronoamperometry studies show that the palladium surface is poisoned by an intermediate in the low potential region. In-situ {FTIR} measurements confirmed that there is no interaction with BH2-species which are acting as catalyst poison.

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