Research on chemically modified electrodes: Electrocatalytic reduction of dioxygen by iron tetraphenylporphyrin modified glassy carbon electrode with heat treatment

Abstract

Abstract The heat treatment of iron tetraphenylporphyrin chemically modified glassy carbon electrode is described. This electrode shows high catalytic activity and good stability for dioxygen reduction. Its catalytic activity is still maintained through 1000 cycles of potential scans (100 mv/s) in an air saturated solution of 0.05 M H 2 SO 4 after a heat treatment to 500°C. Using XPS, Mössbauer, UV‐VIS spectroscopy and mass spectroscopy the microstructure of the electrode surface has been analyzed. The electrocatalytic and dynamic behavior for dioxygen reduction has been studied by cyclic voltammetry and rotating disk electrode respectively. The rate constants for dioxygen reduction at the electrode in a variety of pH solutions have been measured.