Evaluation of the oxygen reduction activities of rare-earth oxide-supported silver catalysts using a channel flow double electrode.

The channel flow double electrode (CFDE) was used for the evaluation of the oxygen reduction activities in alkaline solution of rare-earth oxide-supported silver catalysts. The CFDE cell was modified for the experiment using the powder catalyst as a working electrode. In the present experiment, the silver electrode was supported with CeO2 in order to improve the performance of the oxygen reduction. The detecting electrode current for HO2- emitted from the working electrode was recorded simultaneously with the measurement of the i-E curve of each working electrode. Moreover, the average number of charge transfers n was calculated from the working and detecting electrode currents. The value of n for the oxygen reduction was approximately 4 for silver electrode supported with rare-earth oxide, compared with the n value of pure silver that was smaller than 4. On the basis of these results, the mechanisms of oxygen reduction on these electrodes and role of the rare-earth oxide in alkaline solution were discussed.