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Related Concept Videos

Redox Reactions01:24

Redox Reactions

Oxidation-reduction or redox reactions involve the transfer of electrons from one molecule or atom to another. When an atom gains an electron, another atom must lose an electron, meaning oxidation and reduction must occur together. Since the redox occurs in pairs, the atom that gets oxidized is also called the reducing agent or reductant, and the atom that is reduced is also called the oxidizing agent or oxidant. A straightforward way to remember the definitions of oxidation and reduction is...
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Electrochemistry is the science involved in the interconversion of electrical and chemical reactions. Such reactions are called reduction-oxidation, or redox reactions. These important reactions are defined by changes in oxidation states for one or more reactant elements and include a subset of reactions involving the transfer of electrons between reactant species. Electrochemistry as a field has evolved to yield sufficient insights on the fundamental principles of redox chemistry and multiple...
Oxidation and Reduction of Organic Molecules01:19

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Energy production within a cell involves many coordinated chemical pathways. Most of these pathways are combinations of oxidation and reduction reactions, which occur at the same time. An oxidation reaction strips an electron from an atom in a compound, and the addition of this electron to another compound is a reduction reaction. Because oxidation and reduction usually occur together, these pairs of reactions are called redox reactions.
The removal of an electron from a molecule, results in a...
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For electrode reversibility to be maintained, all the reactants and products involved in the half-reaction must be present at the electrode. There are several types of reversible electrodes (half-cells).In metal-metal-ion electrodes, a metal balances electrochemically with a solution of its own ions. Examples are Cu2+|Cu and Zn2+|Zn. Metals that react with the solvent, like group 1 and most group 2 metals, which react with water, and zinc, which reacts with aqueous acidic solutions, cannot be...
Redox Reactions01:27

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Redox reactions are vital biochemical processes that underpin energy metabolism in cells. These reactions involve the transfer of electrons between molecules, occurring in tandem as oxidation and reduction. Oxidation refers to the loss of electrons, while reduction denotes their gain. This coupling ensures the seamless flow of electrons through metabolic pathways. For example, in bacterial metabolism, glucose undergoes oxidation to carbon dioxide, while oxygen is simultaneously reduced to...

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Fabrication of Spatially Confined Complex Oxides
08:45

Fabrication of Spatially Confined Complex Oxides

Published on: July 1, 2013

Oxygen electroreduction through a superoxide intermediate on bi-modified Au surfaces.

Xiao Li1, Andrew A Gewirth

  • 1Department of Chemistry, 600 South Mathews Avenue, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA.

Journal of the American Chemical Society
|April 7, 2005
PubMed
Summary

Bismuth modification of gold surfaces facilitates the electroreduction of oxygen. This process involves superoxide and peroxide intermediates, occurring via a series pathway on the modified gold surface.

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Area of Science:

  • Electrochemistry
  • Surface Science
  • Computational Chemistry

Background:

  • The electroreduction of oxygen is a critical process in energy conversion technologies.
  • Understanding reaction mechanisms on catalytic surfaces is essential for improving efficiency.
  • Gold surfaces are studied for oxygen electroreduction, but often require modification for enhanced activity.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To elucidate the mechanism of oxygen electroreduction on bare and bismuth-modified Au(111) surfaces.
  • To identify key intermediates and reaction pathways.
  • To investigate the role of bismuth in modifying the catalytic properties of gold.

Main Methods:

  • Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectroscopy was employed to detect reaction intermediates.
  • Density functional theory (DFT) calculations were performed to model the interactions and reaction pathways.
  • Electrochemical measurements were conducted to study the electroreduction process.

Main Results:

  • SERS revealed the presence of superoxide and bismuth-hydroxide (Bi-OH) species during oxygen electroreduction.
  • DFT calculations indicated stronger oxygen association with bismuth on Au(111) compared to bare gold.
  • Calculations showed O-O bond elongation upon oxygen association with bismuth, suggesting altered bonding.
  • Evidence for a series pathway in the four-electron oxygen electroreduction on Bi-modified Au(111) was established.

Conclusions:

  • Bismuth submonolayer modification significantly alters the oxygen electroreduction mechanism on Au(111).
  • The presence of superoxide and Bi-OH species points to a multi-step reaction pathway.
  • DFT and SERS collectively demonstrate that Bi enhances oxygen binding and facilitates its reduction via a series mechanism in acidic media.