Towards direct electroanalysis in seawater: understanding the role of the buffer capacity of seawater in proton-coupled electron transfer reactions

The study of electrochemical reactions in seawater requires understanding of the associated coupled chemistry with the components of seawater, especially the role of the carbonate-bicarbonate buffer system in the case of proton coupled electron transfer reactions. We report the comparative paradigma...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Pindar, R, Batchelor-McAuley, C, Yang, M, Compton, R
Format: Journal article
Language:English
Published: American Chemical Society 2021
_version_ 1826309055432359936
author Pindar, R
Batchelor-McAuley, C
Yang, M
Compton, R
author_facet Pindar, R
Batchelor-McAuley, C
Yang, M
Compton, R
author_sort Pindar, R
collection OXFORD
description The study of electrochemical reactions in seawater requires understanding of the associated coupled chemistry with the components of seawater, especially the role of the carbonate-bicarbonate buffer system in the case of proton coupled electron transfer reactions. We report the comparative paradigmatic voltammetric response of the reversible hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR) in the absence or presence of dibasic phosphate, formate or bicarbonate. Electrochemically and chemically reversible voltammetry is seen in aqueous 0.7 M NaCl at platinum macro-electrodes in the absence of a buffer whilst the presence of a chemically stable buffer systems, such as phosphate or formate, leads either to a cathodic shift in the oxidation potential for high buffer concentrations or to a split wave for concentrations approximately a factor of two less than the dissolved H2. In the case of bicarbonate buffer the dehydration of carbonic acid on the voltammetric timescale leads to chemically irreversible voltammetric behaviour, with a similar response measured in authentic seawater. Numerical simulations based on a simple Nernstian model with literature values for kinetic and thermodynamic parameters are reported which display excellent agreement with experiment.
first_indexed 2024-03-07T07:28:31Z
format Journal article
id oxford-uuid:2ee1e15e-06b1-4eeb-99d2-14826a19d945
institution University of Oxford
language English
last_indexed 2024-03-07T07:28:31Z
publishDate 2021
publisher American Chemical Society
record_format dspace
spelling oxford-uuid:2ee1e15e-06b1-4eeb-99d2-14826a19d9452022-12-16T08:37:44ZTowards direct electroanalysis in seawater: understanding the role of the buffer capacity of seawater in proton-coupled electron transfer reactionsJournal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:2ee1e15e-06b1-4eeb-99d2-14826a19d945EnglishSymplectic ElementsAmerican Chemical Society2021Pindar, RBatchelor-McAuley, CYang, MCompton, RThe study of electrochemical reactions in seawater requires understanding of the associated coupled chemistry with the components of seawater, especially the role of the carbonate-bicarbonate buffer system in the case of proton coupled electron transfer reactions. We report the comparative paradigmatic voltammetric response of the reversible hydrogen oxidation reaction (HOR) in the absence or presence of dibasic phosphate, formate or bicarbonate. Electrochemically and chemically reversible voltammetry is seen in aqueous 0.7 M NaCl at platinum macro-electrodes in the absence of a buffer whilst the presence of a chemically stable buffer systems, such as phosphate or formate, leads either to a cathodic shift in the oxidation potential for high buffer concentrations or to a split wave for concentrations approximately a factor of two less than the dissolved H2. In the case of bicarbonate buffer the dehydration of carbonic acid on the voltammetric timescale leads to chemically irreversible voltammetric behaviour, with a similar response measured in authentic seawater. Numerical simulations based on a simple Nernstian model with literature values for kinetic and thermodynamic parameters are reported which display excellent agreement with experiment.
spellingShingle Pindar, R
Batchelor-McAuley, C
Yang, M
Compton, R
Towards direct electroanalysis in seawater: understanding the role of the buffer capacity of seawater in proton-coupled electron transfer reactions
title Towards direct electroanalysis in seawater: understanding the role of the buffer capacity of seawater in proton-coupled electron transfer reactions
title_full Towards direct electroanalysis in seawater: understanding the role of the buffer capacity of seawater in proton-coupled electron transfer reactions
title_fullStr Towards direct electroanalysis in seawater: understanding the role of the buffer capacity of seawater in proton-coupled electron transfer reactions
title_full_unstemmed Towards direct electroanalysis in seawater: understanding the role of the buffer capacity of seawater in proton-coupled electron transfer reactions
title_short Towards direct electroanalysis in seawater: understanding the role of the buffer capacity of seawater in proton-coupled electron transfer reactions
title_sort towards direct electroanalysis in seawater understanding the role of the buffer capacity of seawater in proton coupled electron transfer reactions
work_keys_str_mv AT pindarr towardsdirectelectroanalysisinseawaterunderstandingtheroleofthebuffercapacityofseawaterinprotoncoupledelectrontransferreactions
AT batchelormcauleyc towardsdirectelectroanalysisinseawaterunderstandingtheroleofthebuffercapacityofseawaterinprotoncoupledelectrontransferreactions
AT yangm towardsdirectelectroanalysisinseawaterunderstandingtheroleofthebuffercapacityofseawaterinprotoncoupledelectrontransferreactions
AT comptonr towardsdirectelectroanalysisinseawaterunderstandingtheroleofthebuffercapacityofseawaterinprotoncoupledelectrontransferreactions