Aspects of the Influence of Light on the Adsorption and Electrooxidation of Allyl Alcohol on Pt/Pt Electrodes in Perchloric Acid Solutions

The electrooxidation of the adsorbed species produced by allyl alcohol adsorption on platinized platinum electrode has been studied in 1.0 M HClO4 medium. The maximum amount of adsorbed intermediates formed during allyl alcohol adsorption on the electrode surface, was observed at the adsorption potential, Eads = 0.00 V (SCE). Chronoamperometric studies at this potential confirm that the current associated with the hydrogen adsorption process decreases in the presence of the organic compound. Allyl alcohol displaces adsorbed hydrogen at the active sites. The incidence of polychromatic light on the electrode improves this effect as shown by comparison with the same experiments in the darkness. However, the electrooxidation of the adsorbed species comprise a monoelectronic charge transfer step. The anodic current associated with this process was higher under illumination than in the dark. This difference was attributed to a light-induced effect: either on the adsorption process of allyl alcohol on Pt/Pt, or on the electrooxidation of the adsorbed species. The electrooxidation of the adsorbed species formed during allyl alcohol adsorption demands apparent activation energies equivalent to 33.3 kJ mol-1 and 24.9 kJ mol-1 in the dark and under illumination, respectively.