Journal of Electroanalytical Chemistry, Vol.571, No.2, 169-176, 2004
The influence of counter anions on the underpotential deposition of mercury(II) on Au(111): temperature-dependent studies
We have studied the temperature dependence of the underpotential deposition (upd) of mercury(II) onto Au(1 1 1) electrodes from a series of electrolytes in which anion interactions could be varied from essentially zero (i.e., HClO4) to strongly interacting with either the Au(1 1 1) substrate (i.e., H2SO4) or with solution phase Hg2+ ions (i.e., HC2H3O2). Both isothermal and non-isothermal cells were used to make temperature-dependent cyclic voltammetry measurements. Analysis of the temperature-dependent cyclic voltammetric curves at a constant Gamma(Hg) yielded values for the half-reaction entropy and enthalpy, DeltaS(rc)(0)(upd) and DeltaH(rc)(0)(upd), for the Hg upd reaction. DeltaS(rc)(0)(upd) values of -30.9 and -18.3 J/mol K were measured for perchloric acid and sulfuric acid electrolytes, respectively. The respective DeltaH(rc)(0)(upd) values for these electrolytes were -182 and -184 kJ/mol. In acetic acid media, thermodynamic functions were found to depend on the electrolyte pH. DeltaS(rc)(0)(upd) values increased monotonically from +16.4 to +83.5 J/mol K as the pH was increased from 2.7 to 5.3 at a constant formal acetate concentration of 0.10 M. Under the same experimental conditions, DeltaH(rc)(0)(upd) increased from -150 to -102 kJ/mol. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.