Abstract
The electrooxidation of formaldehyde and methanol on platinum has been shown to be catalyzed in sulfuric acid solution by the presence of molybdates. Decreased polarization has been shown to result from a cycle involving chemical reaction of the fuels with an oxidized molybdate species with subsequent electrooxidation of the reduced molybdate. The process requires the adsorption of molybdate at the electrode surface throughout the entire cycle.