Oxygen isotope exchange between the gas-phase and the electrochemical cell O2, Pt | YSZ | Pt, O2 under conditions of applied potential difference

The kinetics of oxygen isotope exchange between gas-phase oxygen and the electrochemical cell O2, Pt | ZrO2 + 10 mol % Y2O3 (YSZ) | Pt, O2 with applied potential difference (ΔU = ±1.2 V) is studied in the temperature range of 600–800°С and the oxygen pressure interval of 3–13 kPa. An original design of a vacuum electrochemical cell with the separated gas space is put forward for studying how the potential difference on the electrochemical cell influences the kinetics of interaction of gas-phase oxygen with the gas electrode O2, Pt | YSZ in the electrochemical cell. It is shown that the oxygen interphase exchange rate is the higher the more negative the charge on the electrode studied; moreover, the mechanism of gas-phase oxygen exchange with the gas electrode O2, Pt | YSZ in the electrochemical cell depends fundamentally on the electrode charge sign. The possible reasons for the revealed differences are discussed; the corresponding models are proposed.