ELECTROORGANIC REACTIONS ON ORGANIC ELECTRODES .15. ELECTROLYSIS USING COMPOSITE-PLATED ELECTRODES .4. POLARIZATION STUDY ON A HYDROPHOBIC NI/PTFE COMPOSITE-PLATED NICKEL ELECTRODE

It was found that a hydrophobic Ni/poly(tetrafluoroethylene) [PTFE] composite-plated nickel electrode has lower oxygen and hydrogen overvoltages in a wide range of current density than an unplated nickel one. When an electrooxidizable organic compound (isopropyl alcohol) was added to an aqueous alkaline anolyte, a current-potential curve for its oxidation on the Ni/PTFE anode shifted drastically to a cathodic direction from that in the background solution, while the potential shift on the unplated anode was much less. On the other hand, in the reduction of benzaldehyde on the Ni/PTFE cathode the potential shift to an anodic direction was observed. A preliminary investigation about the overvoltage increase and the potential shift was made.