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Why is Gold such a Good Catalyst for Oxygen Reduction in Alkaline Media?
Author(s) -
Quaino P.,
Luque N. B.,
Nazmutdinov R.,
Santos E.,
Schmickler Wolfgang
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
angewandte chemie international edition
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.831
H-Index - 550
eISSN - 1521-3773
pISSN - 1433-7851
DOI - 10.1002/anie.201205902
Subject(s) - catalysis , oxygen reduction reaction , oxygen , chemistry , electron transfer , inorganic chemistry , adsorption , oxygen reduction , photochemistry , reduction (mathematics) , electrochemistry , electrode , organic chemistry , geometry , mathematics
The two faces of gold : The reduction of oxygen on gold electrodes in alkaline solutions has been investigated theoretically. The most favorable reaction leads directly to adsorbed O 2 − , but the activation energy for a two‐step pathway, in which the first step is an outer‐sphere electron transfer to give solvated O 2 − , is only slightly higher. d‐band catalysis, which dominates oxygen reduction in acid media, plays no role. The reason why the reaction is slow in acid media is also explained.