Electrocatalysis of methanol oxidation

Most relevant aspects of methanol electrooxidation on Pt electrodes, including voltametric as well as spectroscopic data on the system are presented and discussed. Parallel reaction pathways have been demonstrated, producing CO2 and HCOOH or HCHO as soluble products, to an extent that depends on several parameters of the systems like methanol concentration, electrode roughness, and time of electrolysis. Several issues like the intermediates of the reaction and the yields of oxidation products remain yet unclear. A status of-the-art on these and other aspects of methanol oxidation is presented, which may be useful for future investigations. This is the aim of the present contribution and referenced papers were accordingly selected.