title: The influence of reactive side products in electrocatalytic reactions: methanol oxidation as case study.
abstract: The role and impact of follow-up processes involving reactive side products in an electrocatalytic reaction is demonstrated for the electrooxidation of methanol at a Pt electrode. By using combined in situ infrared spectroscopy and online mass spectrometry and employing isotope-labeling techniques, it is shown that even small amounts of the incomplete oxidation products formaldehyde and formic acid have pronounced effects on the reaction.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Surface Chemistry and Catalysis, Ulm University, 89069 Ulm (Germany).
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Reichert
authors.forename: Johannes
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schnaidt
authors.forename: Zenonas
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Jusys
authors.forename: R Jürgen
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Behm
keywords: electrocatalysis; kinetics; methanol oxidation; reaction intermediates; spectro-electrochemistry