The Influence of the Oxygen Reduction Reaction (ORR) on Pt Oxide Electrochemistry

Abstract In this study, we employed microelectrodes and scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM) to investigate the role of molecular oxygen and local pH changes on the electrochemistry of Pt oxide. We show that in acidic media and alkaline conditions, the impact of O 2 is negligible, while in unbuffered neutral media, O 2 strongly affects the formation of Pt oxides. Experiments carried under hindered diffusion reveal that this is due to a high local pH arising from the oxygen reduction reaction. This is evidenced by the appearance, at very positive potentials, of a diffusion controlled wave consistent with the oxidation of OH − . The ORR produces a sufficiently alkaline environment near the electrode to promote the formation of oxide at much more negative potentials than anticipated from the bulk pH. As a result, the onset of oxide formation overlaps the onset of oxygen reduction and it is impossible to obtain a Pt surface free from oxide at potentials positive of the onset of the ORR. Thus, prior exposure of the Pt surface to dissolved oxygen does not leave irreversibly adsorbed oxygen species as previously reported by our group; instead, the ORR induces a coverage of oxide at much lower potentials than determined by the bulk pH.