Kinetics of electrode processes on a bismuth electrode in acid solutions containing thiourea and formamidine disulphide

A study of the mechanism by which bismuth is electrodissolved in an aqueous solution of thiourea on the background of H2SO4 demonstrated that, in the thiourea concentration range 0.001 M < c < 0.5 M, a current oscillation is observed in cyclic voltammograms at E ≈ 0.4–0.3 V when the potential is swept from the anodic to the cathodic region. This oscillation is due to the loosening of the passivating film formed in the anodic process. It is shown that thiourea is not oxidized to formamidine disulphide at the bismuth electrode. thiourea and formamidine disulphide have mutually opposite effects on the height of the cathodic peak: the peak current falls with increasing thiourea concentration and grows with increasing formamidine disulphide concentration. According to the results of an X-ray fl uorescence analysis, sulfur is formed on the bismuth electrode upon its prolonged polarization of in a 0.5 M solution of thiourea. An explanation is provided for the experimental facts observed in the study.