Acetonitrile as adsorbate or solvent to probe the crystal face specificity of metal-water interaction at silver electrode/solution interfaces

The crystal face specificity of metal-water interaction at Ag electrode/solution interfaces is investigated by using acetonitrile (ACN) as a probe molecule of the water interfacial structure or as a solvent in which water is a solute. Capacitance and voltammetric curves suggest that ACN is weakly adsorbed from aqueous solution on Ag in the order (111) > (100) > (110). Apparent inconsistencies of adsorption parameters are explained by the occurrence of two ACN adsorption modes: (i) directly on the metal surface and (ii) on the water layer adsorbed on the metal surface. Ag surface oxidation in ACN in the presence of variable amounts of water suggests that water has an inhibiting effect on Ag oxidation, the diminution of the water content in ACN leading to free anodic dissolution of the metal surface.