The potential （E）-dependent vibrational behavior of a saturated CO adlayer on Au-core Pd-shell nanoparticle film electrodes was investigated over a wide potential range, in acidic, neutral, and basic solutions, using in situ surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy （SERS）. Over the whole of the examined potential region （-1.5 to 0.55 V vs. NHE）, the peak frequencies of both the C-OM and the Pd-COM band （here, M denotes the multiply-bonded configuration） displayed three distinct linear regions： dvc oM/dE decreased from -185-207 （from -1.5 to -1.2 V） to -83-84 cm-1/V （-1.2 to -0.15 V）, and then to 43 cm-1/V （-0.2 to 0.55 V）; on the other hand, dvpd coM/dE changed from -10 to -8 cm I/V （from -1.5 to -1.2 V） to ^-31 to -30 cm-1/V （-1.2 to -0.15 V）, and then to -15 cm-1/V （-0.2 to 0.55 V）. The simultaneously recorded cyclic voltammograms revealed that at E 〈 -1.2 V, a hydro- gen evolution reaction （HER） occurred. With the help of periodic density functional theory calcula- tions using two different （2 × 2）-3CO slab models with Pd（111）, the unusually high dvc-oM/dE and the small dVPd-CoM/dE in the HER region were explained as being due to the conversion of COad from bridge to hollow sites, which was induced by the co-adsorbed hydrogen atoms formed from dissociated water at negative potentials.
The effects of O2 and the supported Pt nano-particles on the mechanisms and kinetics of the carbon support corrosion are investigated by monitoring the CO2 production using differential electrochemical mass spectrometry in a dual-thin layer flow cell. Carbon can be oxidized in different distinct potential regimes; O2 accelerates carbon oxidation, the rates of CO2 production from carbon oxidation in O2 saturated solution are two times of that in N2 saturated solution at the same potential; Pt can catalyze the carbon oxidation, with supported Pt nanoparticles, the overpotential for carbon oxidation is much smaller than that without loading in the carbon electrode. The mechanism for the enhanced carbon oxidation by Pt and O2 are discussed.
