Potassium ferrate(VI) and decomposed K 2FeO 4 assisted methanol electro-oxidation in alkaline media

• Published in: Electrochimica acta Vol. 54; no. 13; pp. 3548 - 3552
• Main Authors: Xu, Zhihua, Hu, Juncheng, Yan, Zhaoxiong, Yang, Shuibin, Zhou, Jing, Lu, Wen
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01-05-2009
• Subjects: Direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC); Electro-oxidation; Ferrate(VI); Ferrate(VI); Direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC); Electro-oxidation
• ISSN: 0013-4686; 1873-3859
• DOI: 10.1016/j.electacta.2009.01.001

The cyclic voltammograms (CVs) and current-time curves of methanol electro-oxidation, assisted by K
2FeO
4, decomposed K
2FeO
4 and Fe(NO
3)
3 added in strong alkaline solution, were investigated on a Pt electrode. The results show that Fe(NO
3)
3 and K
2FeO
4, especially decomposed K
2FeO
4, can promote the activity and poisoning tolerance of a Pt electrocatalyst for methanol oxidation in alkaline solution. We propose that iron(III)-containing compounds such as Fe(OH)
3 and FeOOH in a strong alkaline solution tend to encourage the formation of OH adsorption (OH
ads) species, which are necessary for the promotion of the CO-like intermediates of oxidation on the Pt electrode.