Electrochemical behaviour of americium ions in LiCl-KCl eutectic melt

This work presents a study on the electrochemical properties of AmCl₃ in a molten LiCl-KCl eutectic, at a temperature range of 733-833 K. Transient electrochemical techniques, such as cyclic voltammetry and chronopotentiometry, on inert metallic tungsten working electrode have been used to investigate the reduction mechanism of Am³⁺ ions. The results show that Am³⁺ is reduced to Am metal by a two-step mechanism corresponding to the Am³⁺/Am²⁺ and Am²⁺/Am⁰ transitions. Formal standard potentials of Am³⁺/Am²⁺ ( versus Cl₂/Cl⁻ at 733 K) and Am²⁺/Am⁰ ( versus Cl₂/Cl⁻ at 733 K) redox couples as well as diffusion coefficients of Am³⁺ and Am²⁺ (2.4 × 10⁻⁵ and 1.15 × 10⁻⁵ cm² s⁻¹ at 733 K, respectively) have been calculated at three different temperatures. In the studied range of temperature, the DAm3+/DAm2+ ratio was found to be around 2. In addition, thermodynamic properties have been calculated for Am³⁺ () and Am²⁺ () and compared to thermodynamic reference data in order to estimate activity coefficients (Am³⁺ = 4.7 × 10⁻³ and Am²⁺ = 2.7 × 10⁻² at 733 K) in the molten LiCl-KCl eutectic.     

Electrochemical behavior of palladium-gold alloys

The behavior of Pd-Au alloys, prepared by electrochemical codeposition, has been studied in acidic solutions (1 M H₂SO₄) using mainly the cyclic voltammetry technique. Morphology of the alloy surface and bulk compositions were examined by SEM/EDAX method. Various types of voltametric behavior during potential cycling in the oxygen region are presented. The influence of hydrogen absorption on electrochemical properties of surface oxides is demonstrated. The problem of the nature of oxygen electrochemisorbed on Pd-Au alloys is discussed.     

Electrochemical behaviour of some 3-methylthio-1,2-dithiolium cations in dimethylformamide solution

Substituted 3-methylthio-1,2-dithiolium cations were prepared by alkylation of the corresponding 1,2-dithiole-3-thiones. These compounds were easily reduced in DMF at a mercury electrode, following two one-electron waves. Electrolysis, carried out at a mercury pool electrode and followed by an alkylation or an acylation, provided the corresponding alkyl (or acyl) dithioesters and by-products. At a platinum or glassy carbon electrode the reduction was an irreversible process, which was dependent upon the cathode nature. Whatever the electrode, the reduction was a combination of two reactions, a two-electron reduction and a one-electron one involving a dimerization. The electrochemical behaviour of 3-methylthio-1,2-dithiolium cations exhibited many analogies with the cathodic behaviour of the corresponding 1,2-dithiole-3-thiones. Moreover, identical intermediates were implicated in the reduction of 3-methylthio-1,2-dithiolium cations and in the reductive alkylation of 1,2-dithiole-3-thiones.     

聚丙烯胺二茂铁电化学特性的研究

在水溶性高分子聚丙烯胺(PAA)的骨架上引入电化学活性二茂铁(Fc)基团,合成了具有电化学活性的水溶性高分子聚丙烯胺二茂铁(PAA-Fc).采用紫外和红外吸收光谱对PAA-Fc进行了表征,并利用循环伏安法研究了其电化学特性.实验结果表明:PAA-Fc具有明显的电化学活性,可在L-脯氨酸脱氢酶与电极表面之间实现电子传递.     

Electrochemical synthesis of new catechol derivatives

Electrochemical oxidation of catechols (1a-e) has been studied in the presence of 2-acetylcyclopentanone (3) as a nucleophile in aqueous solutions, using cyclic voltammetry and controlled-potential coulometry. The results indicate that the quinones derived from catechols (1a-e), participate in Michael addition reactions with anion of 2-acetylcyclopentanone (3) and via EC mechanism pathway, converted to corresponding catechol derivatives (4a-e). In this work, we derived novel catechol derivatives with good yields based on electrochemical oxidation in aqueous solutions, at carbon electrode in an undivided cell, using environmentally friendly method.     

Electrochemical behaviour of haemoglobin at the liquid/liquid interface

The electrochemical behaviour of haemoglobin (Hb) at the liquid/liquid interface was investigated. Based on ion transfer cyclic voltammetry and bulk ionolysis experiments, it is proposed that Hb adsorbs at the liquid/liquid interface and forms a multi-layer deposit thereafter repetitive cycling. However Hb does not cross the interface. The transfer peak current measured increased non-linearly with the bulk concentration of Hb in the aqueous phase but it did vary linearly with the square root of the scan rate. This diffusion-controlled process is ascribed to the Hb-facilitated transfer of the anion of the organic phase electrolyte. The electrochemical signal also increases with time suggesting a conformational re-arrangement of Hb at the liquid/liquid interface. The transfer peak potential was seen to vary with the nature of the anion, in agreement with the trend in hydrophobicity of the anions examined. Furthermore, at pH values ≥pI of Hb, no transfer peak was observed, suggesting that neutral or negatively charged Hb does not facilitate the transfer process.     

Electrochemical behaviour of uranium (IV) in DMF at vitreous carbon

The electrochemical behaviour of UCl₄ (0.01 mol L⁻¹ up to 0.05 mol L⁻¹) in 0.1 mol L⁻¹ TBAPF₆/DMF solution at vitreous carbon was studied, at room temperature, by cyclic voltammetry and potentiostatic techniques. The electrolytic solutions were analyzed by UV spectroscopy (UV), and the electrodeposited films were characterized by Rutherford Backscattering Spectroscopy (RBS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The cyclic voltammetric results, at low UCl₄ concentrations (0.01 mol L⁻¹), point that the reduction of U(IV) to U(0) occurs in two steps involving mainly U(IV) and U(III) species. The first electron transfer reaction is quasi-reversible and the second irreversible. The diffusion coefficient of U(IV) in DMF and the charge rate constant were determined to be 4.78 × 10⁻⁷ cm² s⁻¹ and 1.93 × 10⁻³ cm s⁻¹ (at 0.02 V s⁻¹), respectively.RBS data obtained from samples prepared at constant potential (−3.10 V) during 3 h at room temperature, indicated the presence of uranium particles deposited all over the vitreous carbon surface with aggregates in some places, confirming that the second reduction step corresponds to uranium electrodeposition. No crystallographic ordering could be seen by XRD, pointing to an amorphous character of the uranium films.     

Electrochemical study of catechol-boric acid complexes

The electrochemical behavior of catechol-boric acid complexes in aqueous solutions has been studied using cyclic voltammetry and steady-state voltammetry with a rotating disk electrode. Different patterns of reactivity and various kinetic pathways have been examined. Based on a CE mechanism, the dissociation constant and homogeneous rate constants of complex formation and dissociation were estimated for each pathway by comparing the experimental cyclic voltammograms with the digitally simulated results. Also, the effects of pH and substituted groups on dissociation constants and reaction kinetics were studied.     

Electrochemical reduction of 2-ethyl-9,10-anthraquinone (EAQ) and mediated formation of hydrogen peroxide in a two-phase medium Part I: Electrochemical behaviour of EAQ on a vitreous carbon rotating disc electrode (RDE) in the two-phase medium

The electrochemical reduction of 2-ethyl-9,10-anthraquinone (EAQ) has been examined by voltammetry on a vitreous carbon rotating disk electrode (RDE) in a two-phase medium. The medium consisted of an organic phase consisting of a mixture of tributylphosphate (TBP) and diethylbenzene (DEB) (15/85,vol/vol) and an aqueous phase, 2m NaOH. The ratio between the two phases was 40% for the organic phase and 60% for the aqueous phase. The electrochemical behaviour of EAQ in this medium was examined on a vitreous carbon RDE in the presence and absence of oxygen. The formation of hydrogen peroxide mediated by the electrochemical reduction of EAQ was studied analytically. The voltammetric results indicate that hydrogen peroxide formation mediated by the electrochemical reduction of EAQ is feasible.     

Electrochemical oxidation of 4-morpholinoaniline in aqueous solutions: Synthesis of a new trimer of 4-morpholinoaniline

Electrochemical oxidation of 4-morpholinoaniline has been studied in various pHs using cyclic voltammetry and controlled-potential coulometry. The electrochemical trimerization of 4-morpholinoaniline is described and its mechanism has been studied in aqueous solution. This method provides a green, reagent-less, and environmentally friendly procedure with high atom economy, for the synthesis of “4-morpholinoaniline-trimer” using a carbon electrode in an undivided cell in good yield and purity.     

Electrochemical behaviour of chalcopyrite in the presence of silver and Sulfolobus bacteria

The electrochemical behaviour of massive chalcopyrite electrodes has been studied in an acid medium (pH1.5) containing silver ions (0.02gdm–3Ag+) and thermophilic bacteria (68°C). Preliminary tests on particulate electrodes made from graphite, elemental sulfur and Ag2S were included to determine the electrochemical response of reactants (Ag+) and products (S° and Ag2S) associated with the dissolution of chalcopyrite in the presence of silver. Massive chalcopyrite electrodes under potential scan showed a dependence on the dissolution of the Ag2S film with both the time of contact with the silver solution and [Ag+]. As well as Ag2S, metallic silver was detected on the chalcopyrite surface. It has been demonstrated that Fe3+ and bacteria play an important role in the regeneration of the Ag2S film. The breakdown of this film is a requirement for the further dissolution of chalcopyrite. The bioleaching of chalcopyrite with thermophilic microorganisms in the presence of silver decreased the decomposition potential of the electrode and favoured its electrodissolution. Bioleaching treatment in the presence of silver ions for periods of time longer than two weeks did not improve the surface reactivity. However, in the initial stages of the process, the lower reactivity of the bioleached electrodes was probably related to a toxic effect of silver on the microorganisms.     

Surface electrochemistry of UO2 in dilute alkaline hydrogen peroxide solutions

The reaction of H₂O₂ on SIMFUEL electrodes has been studied electrochemically and under open circuit conditions in 0.1 mol l⁻¹ NaCl (pH 9.8). The composition of the oxidized UO₂ surface was determined by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Peroxide reduction was found to be catalyzed by the formation of a mixed U^IV/U^V (UO_2+x) surface layer, but to be blocked by the formation of U^VI (UO₂²⁺) species on the electrode surface. The formation of this U^VI layer blocks both H₂O₂ reduction and oxidation, thereby inhibiting the potentially rapid H₂O₂ decomposition process to H₂O and O₂. Decomposition is found to proceed at a rate controlled by desorption or reduction of the adsorbed O₂ species. Reduction of O₂ is coupled to the slow oxidative dissolution of UO₂ and formation of a corrosion product deposit of UO₃·yH₂O.     

Electrochemical properties of metallofullerenes and their anions

Pure endohedral metallofullerenes Sm@C₈₂ and Gd@C₈₂ have been separated by HPLC and their cage symmetry is speculated to be C_2v by comparing their UV-Vis-NIR spectra. Analysis of the experimental results indicated that this symmetry was favored under our condition for both of them. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) of Sm@C₈₂ were first measured and more information of the electrochemical property of Gd@C₈₂ was obtained, which revealed that the entrapped Gd and Sm atoms took different oxidation state in the fullerene cage with the same symmetry and these two metallofullerenes had good electron accepting ability. Their anions were successfully produced in a simple manner and characterized with UV-Vis-NIR spectra. This achievement would provide an important route to prepare new functionalized materials.     

Electrochemical study of azo-azulene compounds

An electrochemical study of several azo-azulene compounds (Az-NN-Y, where Y = substituted phenyl, pyridine, thiazole) was performed with cyclic and differential pulse voltammetry, as well as rotating-disk electrode methods. The objective of this work was to characterize their electrochemical properties and establish the influence of donor and acceptor substituents on azulene and azo group behaviour. Calculations were performed, using quantum mechanics-based methods, to correlate electrochemical reactivity with structure. Satisfactory correlations were found between experimental oxidation and reduction potentials as well as calculated ionization potentials and LUMOs.     

Electrochemical behaviors of thymine on a new ionic liquid modified carbon electrode and its detection

A new electrochemical method was proposed for the determination of thymine, which relied on the oxidation of thymine at a carbon ionic liquid electrode (CILE) in a pH 5.0 Britton-Robinson buffer solution. CILE was fabricated by using ionic liquid 1-(3-chloro-2-hydroxy-propyl)-3-methylimidazole acetate as the binder, which showed strong electrocatalytic ability to promote the oxidation of thymine. A single well-defined irreversible oxidation peak appeared with adsorption-controlled process and enhanced electrochemical response on the CILE, which was due to the presence of high conductive ionic liquid on the electrode. The reaction parameters of thymine were calculated with the electron transfer coefficient (α) as 0.27, the electron transfer number (n) as 1.23, the apparent heterogeneous electron transfer rate constant (k_s) as 6.87 × 10⁻⁶ s⁻¹ and the surface coverage (Г_T) as 5.71 × 10⁻⁸ mol cm⁻². Under the selected conditions the oxidation peak current was proportional to thymine concentration in the range from 3.0 to 3000.0 μM with the detection limit as 0.54 μM (3σ) by differential pulse voltammetry. The proposed method showed good selectivity to the thymine detection without the interferences of coexisting substances.     

Effects of polymerization potential on the permselectivity of poly(o-phenylenediamine) coatings deposited on Pt-Ir electrodes for biosensor applications

In attempts to improve the permselectivity of poly-o-phenylenediamine (PoPD) for biosensor applications, we investigated the influence of applied electropolymerization potential on the permeability properties of the non-conducting, non-ionic form of PoPD deposited on Pt-Ir wire electrodes in neutral media, using fixed potential amperometry and cyclic voltammetry. The analytes chosen were hydrogen peroxide (the signal transduction molecule in many oxidase-based biosensors) and ascorbic acid (AA, the archetypal interference species in biological applications of biosensors). The permselectivity (S%) of Pt/PoPD, expressed as the percentage interference by AA in hydrogen peroxide calibrations carried out at +0.7 V versus SCE, showed three distinct ranges: very poor (∼70%) for mild anodic applied polymerization potentials (<200 mV), indicating little or no PoPD coating formed on the electrode surface; moderate (∼2%) when the PoPD was generated using intermediate potentials (250-300 mV); and excellent (<0.3%) for polymerization potentials >400 mV. There was also a trend in this last S% range for further improvement with increasing polymerization potential, which reached an optimum value of 0.10 ± 0.02% (n = 19 sensors) when the PoPD electrodeposition was carried out at 700 mV versus SCE. This enhancement in S% was due to a surprising combination of increases in permeability for hydrogen peroxide and decreases in AA permeability for the higher values of applied polymerization potential. In addition, the data indicate that, for the conditions used here, electropolymerization at the fixed applied potential of 0.7 V was superior to CV in terms of permselectivity for hydrogen peroxide detection by PoPD-modified electrodes in media containing AA.     

Indirect cathodic electrocatalytic degradation of dimethylphthalate with PW11O39Fe(III)(H2O) and H2O2 in neutral aqueous medium

Cyclic voltammetry and degradation of dimethylphthalate (DMP) revealed that the iron-substituted heteropolytungstate anion PW₁₁O₃₉Fe(III)(H₂O)⁴⁻ is an excellent indirect cathodic oxidative electrocatalyst in the presence of H₂O₂. PW₁₁O₃₉Fe(III)(H₂O)⁴⁻ can electrocatalyze the reduction of H₂O₂ to hydroxyl radicals via an inner-sphere electron transfer mechanism, which cause oxidative decomposition of DMP. Almost complete DMP removal and ca. 30% mineralization were obtained in less than 120 min in a mixed phosphate solution at pH 6.86 containing 0.1 mM DMP. MS analyses of the intermediates and final products suggested that glyoxal, oxalic acid and acetic acid are the main ring-opening products, besides some unstable hydroxylated aromatic intermediates. The effects of added H₂O₂ concentration, applied cathodic potential and DMP initial concentration on the degradation of DMP were also investigated. A concentration of 1.0 mM H₂O₂ and cathodic potential of −0.3 V were optimal conditions for DMP degradation in our experiments. At higher initial DMP concentrations degradation also occurred, but at a slower decay rate compared to lower initial concentrations. The present system thus represents a possible method to use PW₁₁O₃₉Fe(III)(H₂O)⁴⁻ as an indirect cathodic oxidative electrocatalyst in water and wastewater treatment.     

Electrochemical and spectroelectrochemical characterization of the phthalocyanines with pentafluorobenzyloxy substituents

The solution redox properties and spectroelectrochemical investigation of the novel metal-free, zinc, nickel and cobalt phthalocyanines with tetra-pentafluorobenzyloxy substituents at the periphery were studied using various electrochemical and spectroelectrochemical measurements. Cyclic voltammetry and differential pulse voltammetry studies show that while Ni(II), Zn(II) and free-phthalocyanines give up to two reduction and two oxidation processes having ligand-based diffusion controlled reversible one-electron electron transfer characters, Co(II) phthalocyanine represents one ligand-based oxidation, one metal-based reduction and one ligand-based reduction processes having diffusion controlled reversible one-electron transfer characters. Assignments of the redox couples are also confirmed by spectroelectrochemical measurements. Reduction potentials of all complexes shift to positive potentials due to the electron withdrawing tetra-pentafluorobenzyloxy substituents compared with those of the phthalocyanines bearing phenoxy derivatives. A linear variation of the first reduction and oxidation potentials versus ze/r has been obtained for zinc and nickel phthalocyanines.     

Electrochemical copolymerization of thiophene derivatives; a precursor to photovoltaic devices

This work presents an electrochemical technique for the polymerization and copolymerization of thiophene derivatives like 7,9-dithiophene-2yl-8H-cyclopenta[a]acenaphthalene-8-one and 3-hexylthiophene. The structural characterization of chemically synthesized monomers and electrochemically synthesized polymers was carried out by nuclear magnetic resonance and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Thermal characterizations indicate that copolymer has increased thermal stability than that of homopolymer. Morphological studies of the polymerized films carried out by scanning electron microscopy shows network structure of copolymer. Optical properties of the homopolymers and copolymer were studied by UV–visible spectrometer and it was observed that band gap of copolymer is less than the homopolymers. HOMO and LUMO levels, band gap values of the respective polymers were also calculated from the cyclic voltammetry technique with various scan rates. By the peak current obtained from various scan rates shows that all polymerization reactions are diffusion controlled process. Charge transfer resistances of polymers were determined using Nyquist plots. Conductivity of synthesized polymers shows higher conductivity for copolymer than homopolymers.     

Electrochemical reduction of cerium oxide into metal

The Fray Farthing and Chen (FFC) and Ono and Suzuki (OS) processes were developed for the reduction of titanium oxide to titanium metal by electrolysis in high temperature molten alkali chloride salts. The possible transposition to CeO₂ reduction is considered in this study. Present work clarifies, by electro-analytical techniques, the reduction pathway leading to the metal. The reduction of CeO₂ into metal was feasible via an indirect mechanism. Electrolyses on 10 g of CeO₂ were carried out to evaluate the electrochemical process efficiency. Ca metal is electrodeposited at the cathode from CaCl₂–KCl solvent and reacts chemically with ceria to form not only metallic cerium, but also cerium oxychloride.