Charging of silver bromide aqueous interface: evaluation of interfacial equilibrium constants from surface potential...

A single crystal silver bromide electrode (SCr-AgBr) was used to measure the inner surface potential (Ψ(0)) at the silver bromide aqueous electrolyte interface as a function of the activities of Br(-) and Ag(+). Absolute values of the surface potential were calculated from electrode potentials of SCr-AgBr using the value of point of zero charge (pBr(pzc)=6.9 [H.A. Hoyen, R.M. Cole, J. Colloid Interface Sci. 41 (1972) 93.]) as the value of point of zero potential. Measurements were performed in potassium nitrate aqueous solutions. The Ψ(0)(pBr) function was linear and slightly dependent on the ionic strength. The reduction values of the slope with respect to the Nernst equation, expressed by the α coefficient, were 0.880,0.935, and 0.950 at ionic strengths of 10(-4), 10(-3), and 10(-2) mol dm(-3), respectively. The results were successfully interpreted by employing the surface complexation model, developed originally for metal oxides and adapted for silver halides. The thermodynamic ("intrinsic") equilibrium constants for binding of bromide (K(n)(∘)) and silver (K(p)(∘)) ions on the corresponding sites at the silver bromide surface were evaluated as lgK(n)(∘)=3.98; lgK(p)(∘)=2.48. Symmetrical counterion surface association was assumed and equilibrium constants were obtained as lgK(NO(3)(-))(∘)=lgK(K(+))(∘)=4.30.