The Electrochemistry of Tin Amalgam

The electrochemistry of dilute tin amalgam in perchlorate solution was investigated intensively using the methods of cyclic voltammetry, cyclic chronopotentiometry and chronoamperometry. It was found that the anodic wave in cyclic voltammetry which corresponds to the dissolution of tin from the amalgam to form divalent tin was an uncomplicated reversible wave only at low pH and slow rate of scan. The number of electrons transferred for this wave appeared to be considerably lower than 2 for pH 1.1, 2.1 and 3.1 solutions at fast scan rates and to have a value of 1.0 for pH 4.1, 5.1 and 6.1 solutions at scan rates faster than 20 v/min. The data are interpreted in terms of the mechanistic sequence for the first anodic wave. [Formulae written here] Cyclic chronopotiometric data are consistent with this postulated sequence