Polarographic reduction of oxygen in the presence of dodecylsulphate (SDS): Reorientation of adsorbed SDS at the Hg/electrolyte interface

The reduction of O2 from various electrolytes containing dodecylsulfate (SDS) and alcohols) has been studied at the dropping mercury electrodes. SDS is seen to split the O2 → peroxide reduction wave into two unequal parts. Presence of SDS in two different orientations at the interface is inferred and supporting evidence for the hypothesis is offered from drop-time, tensametric and other polarographic measurements. © 1997.