Controlling of the Electrochemical Reaction Rate by Electrode Potential and Cell Current

Controlling of the Electrochemical Reaction Rate by Electrode Potential and Cell Current 

For choosing a suitable cell construction and optimal reaction conditions in the cell, it is inevitable to consider the fundamental correlations between electrode potential and cell current and their influence on selectivity and yield of the electrochemical reactions. Therefore, a simplified overview is given here. The detailed theory is elucidated in Chapter 1. 

The electrochemical reaction rate and thus the speed of production in the cell are proportional to the cell current. The current density - the cell current divided by the electrode area - is dependent on the potential of the working electrode. 

To achieve a large production rate, the current density should be as high as possible. Particularly, industrial cells need a satisfactory current density and space-time yield , that is, production per time and cell volume, because the investment costs and consequently the production costs are enlarged with increasing electrode area and cell volume. But, naturally, the current density is limited by different reasons that have to be considered. 

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