ELEMENTARY STEPS OF HYDROGEN EVOLUTION REACTION AT A GOLD ELECTRODE IN AQUEOUS SULFURIC ACID
The rate and overvoltage of the constituent elementary steps of the hydrogen evolution reaction at a gold electrode in aqueous sulfuric acid were determined by means of a galvanostatic transient method together with a conventional steady state polarization method. It was concluded that the reaction proceeded through the discharge of hydrated proton which was followed by the recombination of adsorbed hydrogen atoms and the overvoltage of the former step was caused by the free charge on the electrode surface and that of the latter was attributed to the decrease in the electronic work function caused by the adsorbed hydrogen atoms.