Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Letter
  • Published:

Electroactive Species produced by Electrolysis at Mercury Cathodes in Aqueous Solution

Nature volume 215, pages 1165–1166 (1967)Cite this article

Abstract

THERE is evidence that in electrolysis of aqueous solutions at mercury cathodes the accumulation of atomic hydrogen dissolved in mercury as an amalgam, as suggested by Heyrovsky1 and Ilkovic2. M¨ller3 re-investigated hydronium ion discharge at dropping mercury electrodes, and attributed long term changes in volume to a slow step in the overall reaction either elimination of hydrogen from an amalgam, or decomposition of aqueous hydrogen molecule ions. The present work confirms that hysteresis is associated with the metal phase. We also present evidence for the occurrence of electrochemical desorption at mercury containing dissolved hydrogen atoms.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on SpringerLink
  • Instant access to the full article PDF.

USD 39.95

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Heyrovsky, J., Trans. Faraday Soc., 19, 785 (1924).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Heyrovsky, J., and Ilkovic, D., Coll. Czech. Chem. Comm., 7, 198 (1935).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Müller, O. H., Polarography 1964 (edit. by Hills, G. J.), 1, 314 (Macmillan, London, 1966).

    Google Scholar 

  4. Conway, B. E., Electrochemical Data, 214 (Elsevier, Amsterdam, 1952).

    Google Scholar 

  5. Gerischer, H., Z. Phys. Chem. (N. F.), 8, 137 (1956).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Frumkin, A. N., Advances in Electrochemistry and Electrochemical Engineering (edit. by Delahay, P.), 1, 66 (Interscience-Wiley, New York, 1961).

    Google Scholar 

  7. Meites, L., Polarographic Techniques, second ed., Appendix B (Interscience-Wiley., New York, 1965).

    Google Scholar 

  8. Bagotskii, V. S., and Yablokova, I., Zhur. fiz. Khim., 23, 413 (1949).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Frumkin, A. N., Advances in Electrochemistry and Electrochemical Engineering (edit. by Delahay, P.), 1, 106 (Interscience-Wiley, New York, 1961).

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Chemistry Department, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Newfoundland

    FRANK R. SMITH & ALVIN E. WELLS

Authors
  1. FRANK R. SMITH
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  2. ALVIN E. WELLS
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

SMITH, F., WELLS, A. Electroactive Species produced by Electrolysis at Mercury Cathodes in Aqueous Solution. Nature 215, 1165–1166 (1967). https://doi.org/10.1038/2151165a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Issue date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/2151165a0

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing