Voltametric study of chlorine using a rotating gold disc electrode

The kinetics of hydrolysis of chlorine in acidic aqueous solutions was studied by the voltammetric method using a rotating gold disc electrode. The voltammetric curves consist of two waves, of which the more negative corresponds to reduction of hypochlorous acid and the more positive to reduction of chlorine. The wave of chlorine increases with the concentration of H+ and Cl- ions and has a kinetic character; in acetate buffer (pH 3.6) its behaviour approaches best the theory of kinetic-controlled waves. The corresponding dependences on the concentrations of H+ and Cl- ions, however, show some anomalies suggesting complications in the reaction mechanism.