Electrocatalytic Oxidation of Hydrazine Using a Cobalt Bis(thiosemicarbazone) Complex

In this article we report the synthesis and characterisation of novel cobalt bis(thiosemicarbazone) complex [Co(NH3)(2)L]NO3 that is utilised as electrocatalyst for the oxidation of hydrazine using modified electrode approach. Electrochemical studies such as cyclic voltammetry, linear sweep voltammetry and chronoamperometry demonstrate superior electrocatalytic behaviour of the prepared complex as compared to bare electrodes. Based on Tafel plot analysis, for electrooxidation of hydrazine, initial one electron transfer is found to be the rate limiting step which is followed by fast three electron transfer for complete oxidation to nitrogen. Chronoamperometry technique show selective response towards hydrazine electrooxidation in the presence of interfering agents and sensitive with the detection limit of 1.7 mu M. Based on our studies, cobalt complex modified electrode could be used as an alternative electrocatalyst compared to that of precious metal based electrocatalyst for hydrazine oxidation.

Automated summary

In this article, a novel cobalt complex is reported as an electrocatalyst for the oxidation of hydrazine. Electrochemical studies demonstrate the superior electrocatalytic behavior of the prepared complex compared to bare electrodes. The cobalt complex modified electrode shows selective response towards hydrazine oxidation and can be used as an alternative to precious metal-based electrocatalysts.