Collect. Czech. Chem. Commun. 2000, 65, 1-8
https://doi.org/10.1135/cccc20000001

Adsorption and Oxidation of Thiosulfate on the Platinum Electrode in a Slightly Alkaline Medium

Tomáš Loučka

Faculty of the Environment, J. E. Purkyně University, Hoření 13, 400 96 Ústí nad Labem, Czech Republic

Abstract

The aim of this research was to study the oxidation and reduction of the adsorbed thiosulfate on the platinum electrode in a slightly alkaline medium. The adsorption was performed at the open circuit conditions. The reduction of the adsorbed layer in the hydrogen region is slower in a slightly alkaline medium than in acid. The mechanism of reduction and oxidation of adsorbed molecules is probably the same. The nonstationary currents measured in presence of thiosulfates showed that the change in the oxidation number does not take place during the adsorption in the double layer region. In the hydrogen region, thiosulfate replaces the adsorbed hydrogen while beeing reduced. Nonstationary currents at higher concentrations of thiosulfate indicate the presence of more layers on the electrode. Upon reaching higher concentrations of thiosulfate the oxidation reaction takes place between thiosulfate in solution and adsorbed product of its reduction. The open circuit potential of the platinum electrode measured in a thiosulfate solution was 0.780 and 0.783 V against the hydrogen electrode in the same solution.

Keywords: Nonstationary currents; Thiosulfate; Adsorbed dithionate; Adsorbed sulfur; Adsorbed multilayers; Electrooxidations; Electrochemistry.

References: 9 live references.