Electrochemical promotion of RuO2-catalysts for the gas phase combustion of C2H4

The electrochemical promotion of RuO2 catalysts interfaced with yttria stabilised zirconia was studied for the combustion of ethylene. The complete oxidation of ethylene can be described by an Eley–Rideal type mechanism. In situ work function measurements were used to proof the mechanism. A linear dependence between the catalyst work function and the surface coverage of the only adsorbed reactant, chemisorbed oxygen, was found. Cyclic voltammetric measurements were used to study the RuO2/YSZ interface. The electrochemically active zone was located at the RuO2/YSZ interface and next to the three-phase boundary with only a small extension on the gas-exposed catalyst surface.