Physicochemical Properties and Electrochemical Behavior of Ebonex/Pt-Based Materials

Physicochemical properties and electrochemical behavior of Ebonex®/Pt-based electrodes obtained with the use of a combined electrochemical method by electrodeposition of a thin platinum layer on substoichiometric titanium oxides (Ebonex®) followed by heat treatment are studied. Phase composition is found to depend substantially on the temperature of the electrode treatment. At temperatures above 230 C, a titanium-dioxide- hollandite phase is formed and facilitates thermal diffusion of platinum deep into the substrate. A previously unknown titanium-oxygen phase (310 C) that affects the electrochemical behavior of the electrodes is discovered. Ebonex®/Pt-based materials are found to be n-type semiconductors, the flat band potentials and the number of charge carriers of which are determined by the formation conditions. © 2013 Pleiades Publishing, Ltd.