Abstract:

Due to its special magnetic property, Co has become a very important material in surface science. Furthermore, its unique high catalytic activity has made it an important catalyst for syngas in the catalytic industries. On the other hand, in electrochemistry, Co and its oxides are wide-used electrode materials in the Ni battery and alloy electrodes for hydrogen storage. Thus it is very important to perform the study on the surface process on the Co surface. Raman Spectroscopy is a powerful technique in characterizing the surface species, however Co has been considered as not a suitable material for creating enormous surface enhanced Raman process. Theoretically, it has been reported that Co with suitable particle size could be able to generate weak surface enhancement, but no experimental evidence is available. In this study,we developed a method to roughen the Co surface to create possible enhancement in the Raman signal. Based on that, the oxidation process of the Co surface (or the etching process of the Co surface in electrolytes) was studied. Benzotriazole(BTA), a very typical corrosion inhibitor, was added to the electrolyte to study its effect on the corrosion of the Co electrode.