Publication

Influence of Doping Level on the Electrochemical Oxidation of Formic Acid on Boron Doped Diamond Electrodes

Abstract

The influence of the boron doping level in boron doped diamond electrodes (BDD) on the electro-generation of active intermediates (hydroxyl radicals and hydrogen peroxide) involved in the oxidation of organic compounds has been studied. It is shown that the boron doping level of diamond electrodes has no influence on the amount of hydroxyl radicals produced at the electrode surface in contrast with hydrogen peroxide, whose formation is favored by low boron doping levels. The influence of the boron doping level on the degradation of formic acid is also investigated. It is shown that lowly doped diamond films have a slight advantage; proving that hydrogen peroxide does not participate in the process. Moreover, the experimental results were compared with a theoretical model, which considers that the oxidation reaction is fast and controlled by mass transfer. All BDD electrodes showed a good agreement with the model independently of the boron doping level. However, the accuracy of the model tend to decrease with increasing boron content, which is probably due to the participation of active couples, which are known to be present at the surface of diamond films with high boron doping levels. (C) 2011 The Electrochemical Society. [DOI: 10.1149/2.050112jes] All rights reserved.

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Related concepts (32)
Doping (semiconductor)
In semiconductor production, doping is the intentional introduction of impurities into an intrinsic semiconductor for the purpose of modulating its electrical, optical and structural properties. The doped material is referred to as an extrinsic semiconductor. Small numbers of dopant atoms can change the ability of a semiconductor to conduct electricity. When on the order of one dopant atom is added per 100 million atoms, the doping is said to be low or light.
Boron
Boron is a chemical element with the symbol B and atomic number 5. In its crystalline form it is a brittle, dark, lustrous metalloid; in its amorphous form it is a brown powder. As the lightest element of the boron group it has three valence electrons for forming covalent bonds, resulting in many compounds such as boric acid, the mineral sodium borate, and the ultra-hard crystals of boron carbide and boron nitride. Boron is synthesized entirely by cosmic ray spallation and supernovae and not by stellar nucleosynthesis, so it is a low-abundance element in the Solar System and in the Earth's crust.
Electrode
An electrode is an electrical conductor used to make contact with a nonmetallic part of a circuit (e.g. a semiconductor, an electrolyte, a vacuum or air). Electrodes are essential parts of batteries that can consist of a variety of materials depending on the type of battery. The electrophore, invented by Johan Wilcke, was an early version of an electrode used to study static electricity. Electrodes are an essential part of any battery. The first electrochemical battery made was devised by Alessandro Volta and was aptly named the Voltaic cell.
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