A Study of the Rest Potentials in the Gold-Oxygen-Acid System

Two different electrode systems are found. One is the Au/Au-O system in which the gold surface is covered with a hydrated monolayer of adsorbed oxygen atoms. Here, the rest potential is a mixed potential, 980 +--20 my. The other is the Au/Au203 system in which the gold surface is covered with a mult i layer of hydrated Au203. In this case, the rest potential is an equi l ibr ium metal-metal oxide potential, 1350 +-10 mv. The electrical propert ies of the Au-O layer are such that the O2/H20 reaction proceeds with great difficulty on it, and the reversible value of 1230 mv is not expected to be observed on gold electrodes. Since most e lectrode react ions which involve an adsorpt ion step are ext remely compl icated, a com-plete unif ied p icture is st i l l not obta ined f rom the l i te ra ture for the processes occurr ing at oxygen electrodes. It is interest ing to note that re la t ive l