Acta Phys. -Chim. Sin. ›› 2008, Vol. 24 ›› Issue (11): 2139-2142.doi: 10.3866/PKU.WHXB20081134

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Electrocatalytic Reduction of Maleic Acid at Bundles of TiO2 Anodization Film

ZHAO Feng-Ming; SHEN Hai-Ping; CHEN Zhao-Yang; MA Chun-An   

  1. College of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, P. R. China
  • Received:2008-06-18 Revised:2008-07-28 Published:2008-11-10
  • Contact: MA Chun-An E-mail:science@zjut.edu.cn

Abstract: Anodic oxidation is a novel and simple method to fabricate TiO2 film with particular morphologies in a mixture of 0.5 mol·L-1 H2SO4+1 mol·L-1 maleic acid solution. The formation of a mixture containing low crystal rutile phase and amorphous structure of TiO2 was confirmed by X-ray diffraction (XRD). Bundle structures of TiO2 film with the breadth of 2-5 μm and the length over 20 μm were observed by atomic force microscope (AFM). Simultaneously, we found that the average diameter of the fine stick within the bundle structures of TiO2 was 80-150 nm. Electrocatalytic reduction of maleic acid to succinic acid was investigated by cyclic voltammetry and galvanostatic electrolysis experiments. The heterogeneous catalytic reduction of maleic acid could be confirmed with a comparison of the cyclic voltammetry recorded in the absence and the presence of maleic acid on the bunchy TiO2 film surface. In-situ activation of the as-anodized TiO2 electrode by galvanic cycle for galvanostatic electrolysis experiments brought the maximum yield of succinic acid and current efficiency.

Key words: Thin film, TiO2, Anodization, Electrocatalytic reduction, Succinic acid