The effect of the system polydispersity on voltammograms of nanoparticles electrooxidation

Abstract

The paper proposes a mathematical model describing electrooxidation of a polydisperse system of metal nanoparticles from the surface of an indifferent macro-electrode. It is shown that the degree of dispersion of a nanoparticle ensemble affects the shape of oxidation voltammograms. When the degree of dispersion rises and the average size of nanoparticles becomes smaller, the range of oxidation potentials increases. The results of the experimental study of electrooxidation of gold nanoparticles with different degrees of dispersion are given. The particles were localized on the surface of graphite screen-printed electrodes. A good agreement between the parameters of the experimental and calculated voltammograms confirms the correctness of the proposed model. © 2012 Springer-Verlag.