Electrochemical behaviour of metallic oxides

✍ Scribed by J.P. Brenet

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 1979
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 578 KB
• Volume: 4
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0378-7753
• DOI: 10.1016/0378-7753(79)85009-0

✦ Synopsis

Some of the physico-chemical properties of oxides used as cathodes in batteries or as electrocatalysts are briefly reviewed. Possible relationships between these properties and the electrochemical reactivity of the oxides are considered, and attention is drawn to the important influence of the surface state of electrodes on this reactivity. From consideration of the available information on three metal oxides of technological importance and of spine1 type mixed oxides it is apparent that reduction processes take place in the solid state, and that for the metal oxides at least, the presence of OH groups and possibly Hz0 molecules is necessary for their activity. For all these materials there appears to be a correlation between electrochemical reactivity and the presence of redox couples in octahedral sites, and it is suggested that further investigation based on this new concept may lead to the development of power sources with increased specific outputs.