The influence of acrylate and methacrylate anions on the anodic behavior of zinc in concentrated sodium hydroxide solution at ambient temperature and under quiescent conditions has been studied using cyclic linear sweep voltammetry. The effect that these additives have on the corrosion rate of the zinc electrode, and on hydrogen evolution in particular, is examined. Experiments show that although the organic species exhibit a marked over‐all catalytic effect on both zinc dissolution and hydrogen evolution, the corrosion rate is little affected. Despite an apparent deleterious effect on passivation, results suggest that the additives improve the solubility of the anodic product in the electrolyte. A mechanism is tentatively suggested for the catalytic evolution of hydrogen.