Electroreduction Reactivity and the Structure of Solvents on Electrode Surfaces

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AbstractCHE-0603675Gewirth/IllinoisWith the support of the Analytical and Surface Chemistry Program, Professor Gewirth and his colleagues in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, are examining the mechanisms of electro-reduction of peroxide and nitrate at modified metal electrode surfaces. Using scanning tunneling microscopy, vibrational spectroscopy, and electrochemical methods, they are investigating these electro-reduction processes. Sum frequency generation spectroscopy is being applied to the study of the structure of the electrochemical double layer. Fundamental information from these studies will impact the design of electrocatalytic systems and nitrate sensors. The work serves as an excellent vehicle for interdisciplinary research training. Professor Gewirth and his coworkers at Illinois are using spectroscopic methods, scanning probe microscopy, and electrochemical probes to examine the mechanisms of nitrate reduction on electrode surfaces. Using non-linear spectroscopic methods, they are also probing the detailed structure of the electrolyte-electrode interface. The fundamental information obtained in these studies is useful in the design of sensor systems, and electrocatalytic materials.