Surface Oxidation of Au(111) Electrode in Alkaline Media Studied by Using X-ray Diffraction and Infrared Spectroscopy: Effect of Alkali Metal Cation on the Alcohol Oxidation Reactions

The effects of alkali meal cation on the surface oxidation and alcohol oxidation reactions on Au(111) have been investigated using surface X-ray diffraction and infrared spectroscopy. It is known that alkali metal cations strongly affect the alcohol oxidation reactions on Pt(111); however, the oxidation reactions on Au(111) do not depend on alkali metal cations. Infrared spectroscopy reveals the formation of adsorbed OH in LiOH and CsOH solutions below the second anodic peak at 1.3 V. This result indicates that surface oxidation processes do not depend on alkali metal cations below 1.3 V. The interfacial structure, including the outer layer, of an Au(111) electrode has been determined using X-ray diffraction in LiOH and CsOH. During the surface oxidation, the Au(111) surface in CsOH gets roughened more remarkably than that in LiOH above 1.3 V. Li+ has a protective effect against surface roughening. Thus, the cationic effect is weaker in the potential region lower than the second anodic peak, which does not affect the lifting of the surface reconstruction and the alcohol oxidation reactions.