Confocal microprobe Raman spectroscopic study of the electrochemical reduction of benzene on platinum and rhodium electrodes

The dependence of the electrochemical reduction behavior of benzene on Pt and Rh electrodes on the acidity of electrolyte and the electrode potential has been studied by confocal microprobe Raman spectroscopy and electrochemical methods. The results show that benzene can be reduced directly to cyclohexane. The process is found to be significantly influenced by the acidity of the solution, the roughness of the electrode and the entity of the substrates. The catalytic efficiency of Rh electrode was found to be higher than that of Pt electrode. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]