Characterization of Ethanol and 1,2-Ethanediol Adsorbates on Platinized Platinum with Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy and Differential Electrochemical Mass Spectrometry

The irreversible adsorption of ethanol and 1,2-ethanediol on platinized platinum has been studied with Fourier transform IR spectroscopy (FTIRS) and differential electrochemical mass spectrometry (DEMS) in perchloric acid electrolyte. The adsorption was found to be dissociative for both ethanol and 1,2-ethanediol. During adsorption 1,2-ethanediol is completely dehydrogenated to adsorbed CO. For ethanol it was concluded that carbon species are formed in addition to adsorbed CO. Part of this residue is hydrogenated at low potential to methane.