SECM Studies on the Electrocatalytic Oxidation of Glycerol at Copper Electrodes in Alkaline Medium

Abstract

Abstract This study aims at analyzing the reaction mechanism of the electrooxidation of glycerol at copper surfaces in NaOH solutions using Scanning Electrochemical Microscopy (SECM) in the substrate generation/tip collection (SG/TC) mode. Experiments showed the dependence of the current at the tip on the distance between generator and tip, as well as on the concentration of the NaOH solution. The current at the tip decreased significantly after addition of glycerol, as a result of the competition between diffusion of the free‐soluble Cu(III) species and its consumption during the diffusion in the solution. The determination of the analyte in a castor biodiesel sample employing a single copper microelectrode was carried out.