Diffusion combined with charge transfer

In chronoamperometry, after switching on an overpotential, the time dependence of the current is monitored. For purely diffusion-controlled processes, the current depends on time according to the Cottrell equation in Chapter 5, Eq. (5.20). The current decreases proportional to 1/Vt. The combination with charge transfer control leads to the following... 

This sharp decline in cell output at subzero temperatures is the combined consequence of the decreased capacity utilization and depressed cell potential at a given drain rate, and the possible causes have been attributed so far, under various conditions, to the retarded ion transport in bulk electrolyte solutions, ° ° - ° ° the increased resistance of the surface films at either the cathode/electrolyte inter-face506,507 Qj. anode/electrolyte interface, the resistance associated with charge-transfer processes at both cathode and anode interfaces, and the retarded diffusion coefficients of lithium ion in lithiated graphite anodes. - The efforts by different research teams have targeted those individual electrolyte-related properties to widen the temperature range of service for lithium ion cells. 

In a broad sense a parallel combination of charge transfer resistance and CPE elements, in series with finite diffusion element typically represent the circuit. When potential modulation is introduced, charge-transfer-related impedances decrease with increases in electrochemical potential and capacitance for the metal-polymer interface. The capacitance is usually nonideal due to film or electrode porosity [13] and typically is represented by the CPE element. If the film is formed as a reflective boundary, the angle is sometimes different from -90° because of inhomogeneity of the film and distributed values for diffusion coefficients. If two films are formed on the electrode, two RI CPE semicircles are often observed. 

The mere exposure of diphenyl-polyenes (DPP) to medium pore acidic ZSM-5 was found to induce spontaneous ionization with radical cation formation and subsequent charge transfer to stabilize electron-hole pair. Diffuse reflectance UV-visible absorption and EPR spectroscopies provide evidence of the sorption process and point out charge separation with ultra stable electron hole pair formation. The tight fit between DPP and zeolite pore size combined with efficient polarizing effect of proton and aluminium electron trapping sites appear to be the most important factors responsible for the stabilization of charge separated state that hinder efficiently the charge recombination. 

We will consider here the case where the mass transfer limitation is due to the diffusion of the species. When the mass transfer becomes predominant in the low-frequency range, experimental plots obtained in the Nyquist plane shift from the semicircular shape. In that case, indeed, the impedance ZFcan no longer be described as only a charge transfer resistance, but as a combination of Rcv with the impedance of diffusion ZD. ZD changes with the frequency it takes into account the relaxation processes inside the diffusion layer. Different cases can be described depending on the diffusion layer thickness. 

Two impedance arcs, which correspond to two relaxation times (i.e., charge transfer plus mass transfer) often occur when the cell is operated at high current densities or overpotentials. The medium-frequency feature (kinetic arc) reflects the combination of an effective charge-transfer resistance associated with the ORR and a double-layer capacitance within the catalyst layer, and the low-fiequency arc (mass transfer arc), which mainly reflects the mass-transport limitations in the gas phase within the backing and the catalyst layer. Due to its appearance at low frequencies, it is often attributed to a hindrance by finite diffusion. However, other effects, such as constant dispersion due to inhomogeneities in the electrode surface and the adsorption, can also contribute to this second arc, complicating the analysis. Normally, the lower-frequency loop can be eliminated if the fuel cell cathode is operated on pure oxygen, as stated above [18],... 

By combining the Nernst equation with the expressions for charge-transfer overpotential (r CT) and diffusion overpotential (r D), equations can be written for the total experimental polarization behavior, E(iex ox) and E(iex red), of a single half-cell reaction ... 

Impedance spectroscopy in the high-frequency region is another way of eliminating diffusion overpotential. The equations were given in Chapter 5. The combination of the double-layer equivalent circuit with the diffusion impedance was described in Section 5.23 and examples for the determination of the charge transfer resistance at high frequencies were given. 

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