Encyclopaedia of Electrochemistry Principles and Applications (Electrochemistry And Corrosion Science)

Electrochemistry is the study of interchange of chemical and electrical energy. Oxidation reduction involves the exchange of electrons from one chemical species to another. Normally, this is done when the two chemicals contact each other in the activated complex. We are interested in separating the chemical species such that the electrons transfer via an external circuit. That way, we can measure the electrochemical effects. To properly understand the connection between the redox reaction and the electricity, we should balance the overall redox reaction using a half-reaction method such as the one described in the previous section of these notes. We can set up the physical reaction vessel such that the chemicals from first half reaction are separated from those of the second half reaction. For reaction to occur, we still need to connect the solutions to complete the circuit. This is done by attaching wires between electrodes in the two half cells and by connecting the solutions of the two half cells via a salt bridge or by some other device such as a semi-permeable membrane. An electrochemical cell is a device that produces an electric current from energy released by a spontaneous redox reaction. This kind of cell includes the Galvanic cell or Voltaic cell, named after Luigi Galvani and Alessandro Volta, both scientists who conducted several experiments on chemical reactions and electric current during the late 18th century. Electrochemical cells have two conductive electrodes (the anode and the cathode). The anode is defined as the electrode where oxidation occurs and the cathode is the electrode where the reduction takes place. Electrodes can be made from any sufficiently conductive materials, such as metals, semiconductors, graphite, and even conductive polymers. in between these electrodes is the electrolyte, which contains ions that can freely move. This book will prove to be an essential reference to those who wish to make a more detailed study of the topics discussed.