Electroreduction of molybdenum(VI) at a prehydrogenated platinum electrode

The use of hydrogenated platinum electrodes allows observation of the electroreduction of some oxygenated ions, which is otherwise masked by the reduction of the hydrogen ion. The present paper deals with the reduction of molybdenum(VI) at a prehydrogenated platinum electrode in acid solutions. The experimental conditions for the electrode hydrogenation process are the following: 90 min at a cathodic current density of about 7 A/cm(2) for microelectrodes with an area of 0.02-0.03 cm(2); about 120 min at a current density of 1.5-2 A/cm(2) for microelectrodes with an area of 0.25-0.35 cm(2). The reduction of molybdenum(VI) in 0.8-1.6M H(2)SO(4) occurs in two consecutive steps: the more cathodic wave [Mo(V) to Mo(III)] is for the most part masked by the reduction of the solvent; the less cathodic wave [Mo(VI) to Mo(V)] takes place at E(1 2 ) values of about +0.07 V, is well shaped, diffusion-controlled and usable for the determination of molybdenum down to 4 x 10(-5)M or 6 x 10(-5)M if a rotating disk electrode is used. Interferences from diverse ions have been studied. A generalization of the effect of electrode hydrogenation on the reduction of those oxygenated ions so far studied [i.e., vanadium(IV), uranium(VI) and molybdenum(VI)] is presented.