Luminescent electrooxidation of methanol in aqueous alkaline media

✍ Scribed by Hajime Karatani; Takahiro Shizuki

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 1996
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 884 KB
• Volume: 41
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0013-4686
• DOI: 10.1016/0013-4686(95)00421-1

✦ Synopsis

The luminescent electrooxidation of methanol in aqueous sodium hydroxide on a glassy carbon electrode has been characterized. Two different mechanisms appear to exist, depending on both the CH,OH concentration and the potential. A major mechanism may be associated with the electrooxidation of the methoxide ion (CH,O-) to formaldehyde (HCHO) via disproportionation of anodically generated methoxyl radicals (CH,O '). This mechanism is predominant when the CH,OH concentration is GO.1 M, and results in luminescence with a broad spectral distribution (peak around 550nm). Another major mechanism may involve the production of excited singlet oxygen ('0,) via a tetraoxide. Either with higher CH,OH concentrations or at more positive potentials, the latter pathway predominates, producing red luminescence with a peak at around 640nm.