Mechanistic analysis of anodic dissolution of cobalt in alkaline glycine solution

The kinetics of dissolution of Co in alkaline glycine solution under anodic conditions was investigated. Potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopic (EIS) data of Co dissolving in 0.1 M glycine solution at pH 10 were acquired. At low overpotentials, in the active region, the polarization current increases with potential, whereas at high overpotentials, in the passive region, it decreases with potential. Co surface exposed to the alkaline glycine solution was characterized using scanning electron microscopy and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and based on the binding energies of the deconvoluted peaks, oxides, hydroxides, and Co-glycine complexes were identified as the likely species present on the surface. Impedance data was subjected to electrical equivalent circuit analysis, and a circuit with three Maxwell elements was found to model the faradaic impedance. Polarization and EIS data were also analyzed in the framework of mechanistic analysis, and a mechanism with four adsorbed intermediates is proposed. The proposed model captures the salient features of the polarization and EIS results.