Mechanism Study on the Electrocatalytic Oxidation of Acetylene to Oxalic Acid

Authors

Xiu-li SONG, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan 030024, China; Department of Chemistry, Taiyuan Normal University, Taiyuan 030031, China;
Rui-long JIA, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan 030024, China; Department of Chemistry, Taiyuan Normal University, Taiyuan 030031, China;
Wen-yan DONG, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan 030024, China; Department of Chemistry, Taiyuan Normal University, Taiyuan 030031, China;
Zhen-hai LIANG, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan 030024, China; Department of Chemistry, Taiyuan Normal University, Taiyuan 030031, China;Follow

Corresponding Author

Zhen-hai LIANG(liangzhenhai@tyut.edu.cn)

Abstract

A new method of electrocatalytic synthesis oxalic acid from acetylene was explored and the synthesized oxalic acid was characterized by Ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometry (Uv-vis) and Infrared spectroscopy (IR). First-principles calculations were carried out to examine the adsorption of acetylene over the Pt(111) surface. The electrocatalytic oxidation behavior of acetylene has been investigated on a Pt electrode by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and steady-state polarization in Na₂SO₄ solution. The formation mechanism of oxalic acid in the Na₂SO₄ solution was proposed and the transfer coefficients of the reaction were calculated. The results show that acetylene molecule tends to adsorb through the threefold parallel-bridge configuration that is computed to be the most stable because of its lowest adsorption energy. is the rate-determining step during the electrolysis process. The rate of this step obtained from the assumed process agrees well with that from the experiment.

Graphical Abstract

Keywords

acetylene, oxalic acid, cyclic voltammetry, electrocatalytic mechanism, first-principles, rate-determining step

DOI Link

https://doi.org/10.13208/j.electrochem.150211

Publication Date

2015-08-28

Online Available Date

2015-08-28

Revised Date

2015-04-13

Received Date

2015-02-11

Recommended Citation

Xiu-li SONG, Rui-long JIA, Wen-yan DONG, Zhen-hai LIANG. Mechanism Study on the Electrocatalytic Oxidation of Acetylene to Oxalic Acid[J]. Journal of Electrochemistry, 2015 , 21(4): 353-361.
DOI: 10.13208/j.electrochem.150211
Available at: https://jelectrochem.xmu.edu.cn/journal/vol21/iss4/8