Cavity microelectrodes for the voltammetric investigation of electrocatalysts : the electroreduction of volatile organic halides on micro-sized silver powders

In this work the use of cavity-microelectrodes is described for the study of the electrocatalytic properties of silver powders in the electroredn. of trichloromethane, taken as model compd. The key role played by the Ag surface status has driven the research towards the use of micro- and nanosized materials, whose exploitation requires the full understanding of the complex behavior of multiphasial interfaces, and the development of the appropriate investigation methodologies. Moreover, comparison with electrodeposited silver macroelectrodes demonstrates the advantages of using cavity-microelectrodes, esp. in terms of improvement of the electrocatalytic activity, insignificance of ohmic drop and double layer capacitance in the voltammetric response, and simplicity offered by the exptl. procedure for renovating the electrode material and surface.