Electrooxidation of Pt(110) and its influence on Pt surface restructuring

Pt electrocatalysts are widely used as cathode material in polymer-exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFC) as they combine high ORR activity with sufficient stability. However, their long-term stability is still limited because of irreversible changes in the Pt surface morphology caused by electrochemical oxidation/reduction cycles (ORC). To increase their longevity it is mandatory to understand the involved degradation processes on an atomic scale. First experiments on the (1x2) missing row reconstructed Pt(110) surface hint towards an intermittent formation of an ordered 2D surface oxide, which would be substantially different to the suface oxide phases on Pt(111) and Pt(100). With the here proposed experiments we aim to eludicate the mechanisms involved in the evolution of the Pt(110)-(1x2) interface structure during ORCs using operando high energy X-ray surface diffraction. The aquired data will help to interpret the differences found in the Pt dissolution and restructuring behaviour.