SEMINAR Mechanistic aspects of the oscillatory electro-oxidation of small organic molecules

The electrocatalytic oxidation of small organic molecules is an active topic of research mainly because of its potential application in fuel cells. In addition to the sluggish kinetics at low temperature and some still unknown mechanistic aspects, these systems are also known to undergo dynamic instabilities under considerably wide parameter regions. It is presented in this talk the latest works developed at the University of Sao Paulo regarding the oscillatory electro-oxidation of small organic molecules (C1-C3) on platinum and on platinum-based surfaces. The results include experiments, modeling and numerical simulations, and are discussed in connection with the current literature. Some perspectives and directions for future research are also presented.