A study of intermediates adsorbed on platinized-platinum during the stedy-state oxidation of methanol, formic acid and formaldehyde

A combination of charging curves and gas chromatography was used in conjunction with platinized-platinum electrodes of large real surface, to study the intermediates that are formed under steady-state conditions during the anodic oxidation of methanol, formic acid, and formaldehyde in sulfuric acid solutions. It appears that the composition of the adsorbed intermediates is very similar in the three cases. On the average, the oxidation of one intermediate requires two electrons. The behavior of adsorbed CO is slightly different from that of the intermediates.