Trends in Experimental Electrochemistry on sp and sd Metal Single Crystal Electrodes

Abstract

It was shown that some electrochemical results on solid metal electrodes are more easily understood when obtained with crystal faces, which have a controlled, well-determined, atomic arrangement, than when obtained with polycrystalline electrodes which have an uncontrolled distribution of atoms at their surface. Experimental difficulties to obtain and maintain a chemically clean and physically well-defined interphase will be described. A discussion of experimental results for different faces of sp and sd metals for: equilibrium potential, double layer and electrochemical reactions will be given.