A density-functional theory study of electrochemical adsorption of sulfuric acid anions on Pt(111).

A density-functional theory study of the electrochemical adsorption of sulfuric acid anions was conducted at the Pt(111)/electrolyte interface over a wide range of electrode potential, including the anomalous region of the hydrogen voltammogram of this electrode. We focus on the precise nature of the binding species and their bonding to the surface, identifying the adsorbed species as a function of electrode potential. In particular, the origin of anomalous or so-called "butterfly" feature in this voltammogram between +0.30 and +0.50 V vs. the reference hydrogen electrode and the nature of the adsorbed species on the Pt(111) surface in this potential range were explicated.