THE ROLE OF ELECTROCHEMICAL COBALT REDUCTION INTERMEDIATES IN THE FORMATION OF OXYGEN-CONTAINING ADMIXTURES
The article deals with the cobalt ions cathode reduction regularities occurred under various conditions. It is shown, that if Co(II) ions reduction proceeds in two steps under relatively low current density, forming polycrystalline deposit, there may occur special conditions at the boundary of growing crystals that may lead to delay of the second electron transfer to Co(I) intermediate particle. It results in its chemical or electrochemical oxidation formation of oxygen-containing compounds, incorporated into cathodic coating, instead of its reduction to the metal adatom. The adsorbed Co(I) intermediates may chemically interact with surface-active substances and other components of electrolyte, as well as result the hydrogen formation by means of an unconventional mechanism which is different from Volmer-Tafel and Volmer-Heyrovsky mechanisms.