Electrocatalytic reduction of oxygen on carbon nanotubes electrode

The multi-walled carbon nanotube(MWNT) electrode was constructed using poly-tertrafluoroethylene as binder. The electrochemical behavior of the MWNT electrode in alkaline solution was investigated by chronoamperometry and cyclic voltammetric method, and the electrochemical reduction of dissolved oxygen in alkaline solution was examined on this electrode. Experimental results showed that MWNT electrode had higher porosity and electrochemical surface area than graphite electrode. The reduction of O-2 to HO2- on MWNT electrode was a quasi-reversible process, and cathodic peak currents depended linearly on the scan rate over the range of 5 similar to 100 mV (.) s(-1), which suggested that the process of the electrode reaction was controlled by the adsorption. The significant differences in voltammetry between the MWNT electrode and the graphite electrode for dissolved oxygen in alkaline solution indicated that MWNT had higher electrocatalytic activity than graphite powders.