Hi,
While going though the literature I found two sets of researchers- one who purge electrolyte with O2 before OER and another set who purge N2 before OER. I am confused what to do.
Please suggest me the correct way.
Thanks,
Saurav
It depends what you are going to measure. To collect meaningful data you must measure the potential, current and O2-yield. The O2 quantification is very tricky. The most reliable way is to GC with TCD. In this case you should use Ar as a carrier gas and purge the reactor with Ar. The contamination of the reactor with air is inevitable. You will always see N2-peak. Measuring the ratio of O2/N2 peaks surface are you can tell how much oxygen was formed and how much was from air. If you purge the reactor with O2, it would be practically impossible to determine the amount of O2-formed. If you purge with N2, you will be unable to measure the amount of O2 from air-leak.
Dear Yukun, I do not see the relationship between Nernst equation and OER experiment. What do you mean?
Dear Surav, both "sets of researchers- one who purge electrolyte with O2 before OER and another set who purge N2 before OER" are wrong.
It depends what you are going to measure. To collect meaningful data you must measure the potential, current and O2-yield. The O2 quantification is very tricky. The most reliable way is to GC with TCD. In this case you should use Ar as a carrier gas and purge the reactor with Ar. The contamination of the reactor with air is inevitable. You will always see N2-peak. Measuring the ratio of O2/N2 peaks surface are you can tell how much oxygen was formed and how much was from air. If you purge the reactor with O2, it would be practically impossible to determine the amount of O2-formed. If you purge with N2, you will be unable to measure the amount of O2 from air-leak.
Dear Yukun, I do not see the relationship between Nernst equation and OER experiment. What do you mean?
Dear Surav, both "sets of researchers- one who purge electrolyte with O2 before OER and another set who purge N2 before OER" are wrong.
There's no contradiction. Both systems have been used to report kinetic parameters of OER. The rate is slightly higher in N2 purged alkaline media whereas, the results obtained in O2 saturated media are more useful from practical viewpoint.
Thank You all for the replies. I have a doubt ,according to Le-Chatelier's principle, if we purge the electrolyte with O2, won't it favor the backward reaction?
Look at the Pourbaix diagram of O2/H2O. You can't reduce oxygen at potentials required to oxidize water
@ Yurri V Geletii, nice briefing and justification I was looking for the answer and you made it
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