AN ELECTROCHEMICAL STUDY OF ANTIMONY CATHODES IN TETRAALKYLAMMONIUM ELECTROLYTE-SOLUTIONS

The electrochemical processes of tetramethylammonium (TMA+), dimethylpyrrolidinium (DMP+) and tetrabutylammonium (TBA+) at antimony cathodes was investigated. At negative potentials, tetraalkylammonium-antimony (R4N-Sb), a new soluble material, is formed. The composition and properties of R4N-Sb were studied by preparative electrolysis, cyclic voltammetry and linear sweep voltammetry. It was found that R4N+ cations, electrons and antimony from the cathode combine to form R4N-Sb. TMA-Sb and DMP-Sb have similar stabilities and are much more stable than TBA-Sb. Studies of the ease of formation of the three R4N-Sb compounds revealed that it increases in the order TBA+<DMP+<TMA+.