In situ Infrared Reflection Absorption Spectroscopy Studies of the Interaction of Nafion® with the Pt Electrode Surface

Abstract

Abstract Infrared Reflection Absorption Spectroscopy (IRRAS) has been applied to study the nature of the co-ordination of Nafion® to a Pt electrode surface. The experiments have been carried out using a Pt electrode coated with a thin film of Nafion® assembled into a thin layer spectroelectrochemical cell. The potential modulation or the subtractively normalized interfacial Fourier transform infrared reflection spectroscopy (SNIFTIRS) experiments have been performed, in order to distinguish between the bulk properties of the Nafion® membrane and the properties of the membrane at the interace with the Pt electrode. The results showed that the interaction between the membrane and a Pt electrode resembles the interaction between a Pt electrode and a sulfuric acid solution.