Corrosion Suppression on Rutile Anodes by High Energy Redox Reactions

Rutile photoanodes are known to corrode slightly in . Experiments with different electrolytes show that corrosion does not occur in or in with 1M cobaltous ion added, though in each case water is decomposed into hydrogen and oxygen. The addition of cobaltous perchlorate to perchloric acid fails to inhibit corrosion. It is postulated that, where corrosion is suppressed, high energy intermediates are formed by single electron‐transfer reactions at the electrode, and that these intermediates go on to split water in the aqueous electrolyte independently of the electrodes.