[In situ time-resolved FTIR studies of HCOOH oxidation on Pt(100)/Sb electrodes].

The electrocatalytic oxidation of formic acid on Pt(100)/Sb electrodes of different coverage of Sb was investigated by using electrochemical techniques and in situ time-resolve FTIRS. The results demonstrated that the dissociative adsorption of formic acid was inhibited by the presence of Sbad on Pt(100) surface, as a consequence HCOOH can be oxidized directly into CO2 via reactive intermediates. The rate of oxidation of formic acid varied with the coverage of Sbad. It was revealed that at a Sbad coverage of 0.24 the Pt(100)/Sb electrode exhibited the highest electrocatalytic activity for HCOOH oxidation.