Ruthenium dioxide-based film electrodes

Oxygen evolution from acid solutions has been investigated on two kinds of RuO₂-based electrodes; compact and cracked (porous) films. The kinetic study has been carried out by means of potentiostatic curves. A method is suggested to estimate the surface concentration of active sites. The reaction order with respect to active sites and the activation energy have been determined. The mechanism is shown to differ on the two kinds of film in relation to theS(site)-OH bond strength and the surface concentration of intermediates. The behaviour of films on silica glass substrates is reported for the first time.Presented at the Euchem Conference on the Electrochemistry and Chemistry of Solids, 8–12 May 1977, Strasbourg (Le Howald), France. Part of this paper was first presented at the XI National Congress of the Italian Association of Physical Chemistry, 9–11 December 1976, S. Margherita Ligure, Italy.