Analysis of the products resulting from the electrocatalytic oxidation of ethylene on Ru / Pt electrodes

• José Colina Universidad de Los Andes-Venezuela
• Marisela Choy Universidad de los Andes-Venezuela
• Hugo Martínez Universidad de Los Andes-Venezuela

Palabras clave: Ethylene, underpotential deposition (upd), electrocatalyst, ruthenium, platinum

Resumen

Electrolyses of solutions of phosphoric acid 0,5 M saturated with ethylene was carried out by means of the application of potentials programmed to underpotentially deposited monolayer of Ru on a Pt electrodes (upd). The covered (q) of Ru (upd) at Pt was 0,5. Chromatographic analysis of the electrolytic solutions show as majority product the CO₂ (58,15%), and other products like CH₃CH₂OH (13,84%), CH₃COOH (19,41%), CH₃OH (4,63%), in smaller proportion HCHO, CH₃COCH₃, HCOOH and non identified appearances. A program of three steps was used as electrochemical method and the results show that the applied potentials and the covered of the adátomos of Ru were decisive for the selectivity of the products obtained to temperature of 22°C and ambient pressure.