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The Electrochemical Reduction Of Fumaric Acid On Hg-Bi Cathodes, Chen Hwei Chi

Doctoral Dissertations

"The electrochemical reduction of fumaric acid was studied on Hg, Hg/1%Bi amalgam, and Bi at 60ºC in acidic solutions of various pH ranging from 0.3 to 3.7. The fumaric acid was reduced to succinic acid with high efficiency on each electrode. The steady state kinetic parameters included Tafel slopes of ca. 2.3 RT/F and first order concentration dependences for both undissociated fumaric acid and H⁺. Transient measurements indicated low coverages of adsorbed fumaric acid and no adsorbed hydrogen species in the potential region of the reaction. A reaction mechanism is proposed which involves a chemical rate determining step between an …