Interfacial processes induced by dissolved oxidising species at p-ZnTe and n-ZnSe electrodes

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Abstract
The reduction processes of oxygen at p-ZnTe electrodes lead the authors to suppose that decomposition of the semiconductor takes place by means of chemical species produced during the electrochemical reduction of oxygen. At pH 0, hydrogen peroxide in its form H2O2 reacts chemically with ZnTe, whereas at pH 14, the chemical reaction is induced by OH radicals. On the other hand, the electrochemical reduction of an 'Ox' species such as Fe(CN)63- does not promote decomposition of ZnTe. By comparing this result with that obtained at n-ZnSe electrodes, for which such a reduction reaction induces a strong dissolution of the semiconductor, they can predict the electrochemical role of the electric field in the space charge layer.