Electrochemical Behavior of Alkali Metal Alcoholates (Alcoxides) on Mercury

Abstract

Alkali metal alcoholates (alcoxides), which occur as admixtures to fresh samples of alkali borohydrides, cause catalytic evolution of hydrogen of the "presodium type" from aqueous solutions at mercury electrodes. The catalytically active form is presumably a short-lived, particularly hydrated form of the alcoholate anion, adsorbed in a favorable orientation in the interface between negatively charged mercury and aqueous electrolyte solution. The atom, transferring hydrogen ions from the solution to the electrode, is here negatively charged oxygen, a rare case in electrolytic hydrogen evolution catalysis. The catalytic activity of alcoxides gradually dies out, as they are slowly hydrolyzed by air moisture.