Electrode counterelectrode

On three-electrode cells, i.e. cells equipped with working electrode, counterelectrode, and reference electrode (WE, CE, and RE) under potentiostatic or galvanostatic control. In this case, the small ac signal is superimposed on a dc polarization. The measurement requires au electrochemical interface (potentiostat or galvanostat) coupled to an FRA (see Section 3.2). 

Polythiophene is readily produced by inserting a working electrode, counterelectrode, and reference electrode into a nonaqueous electrolyte in which 0.1 to 1.0 M thiophene is dissolved and then increasing the cell potential to greater than 1.6 V (versus SCE). Salts such as lithium or tetrabutylammonium perchlorate, hexafluo-rophosphate, or trifluoromethylsulfonate are typical electrolytes. Acetonitrile, ben-zonitrile, dichloromethane, and tetrahydrofuran are suitable solvents. As previously discussed for polypyrrole, polythiophene has been prepared in aqueous solutions [247]. A conductive, electroactive poly thiophene film was polymerized from a phosphoric acid-water-thiophene system using mild electrochemical polymerization conditions. 

Instrumentation Controlled-current coulometry normally is carried out using a galvanostat and an electrochemical cell consisting of a working electrode and a counterelectrode. The working electrode, which often is constructed from Pt, is also... 

The potential dependence of the velocity of an electrochemical phase boundary reaction is represented by a current-potential curve I(U). It is convenient to relate such curves to the geometric electrode surface area S, i.e., to present them as current-density-potential curves J(U). The determination of such curves is represented schematically in Fig. 2-3. A current is conducted to the counterelectrode Ej in the electrolyte by means of an external circuit (voltage source Uq, ammeter, resistances R and R") and via the electrode E, to be measured, back to the external circuit. In the diagram, the current indicated (0) is positive. The potential of E, is measured with a high-resistance voltmeter as the voltage difference of electrodes El and E2. To accomplish this, the reference electrode, E2, must be equipped with a Haber-Luggin capillary whose probe end must be brought as close as possible to... 

The anode compartment contains a reference electrode and counterelectrode and by means of a potentiostat the anode side is maintained at a constant potential. The coverage of adsorbed hydrogen on the cathode side will depend on the current density i and the nature of the electrolyte solution, and the cell can be used to study the effect of a variety of factors (composition and structure of alloys, pH of solution, effect of promoters and inhibitors) on hydrogen permeation. 

The reason for this limited cycle life is the high solubility of the zinc electrode in alkaline electrolyte the zincate ions formed are deposited again during the subsequent charging in the form of dendrites, i.e., of fernlike crystals. They grow in the direction of the counterelectrode and finally cause shorts. 

The experimental setup is shown in Figure 9.23. The Pt-black catalyst film also served as the working electrode in a Nafion 117 solid polymer electrolyte cell. The Pt-covered side of the Nafion 117 membrane was exposed to the flowing H2-02 mixture and the other side was in contact with a 0.1 M KOH aqueous solution with an immersed Pt counterelectrode. The Pt catalyst-working electrode potential, Urhe (=Uwr)> was measured with respect to a reversible reference H2 electrode (RHE) via a Luggin capillary in contact with the Pt-free side of the Nafion membrane. 

A standard rotating disk electrode (RDE) setup with a gas-tight Pyrex cell was used for the experiment on CO adsorption and the HOR. A Pt wire was used as counterelectrode. A reversible hydrogen electrode, RHE(t), kept at the same temperature as that of the cell (t, in °C), was used as the reference. All the electrode potentials in this chapter will be referenced to RHE(f). The electrolyte solution of 0.1 M HCIO4... 

Two aqueous phases separated by a liquid membrane, EM, of nitrobenzene, NB, were layered in a glass tube, which was equipped with Pt counterelectrodes in W1 and W2 and reference electrodes in three phases as in Eq. (1). Reference electrodes set in W1 and W2 were Ag/AgCl electrodes, SSE, and those in LM were two tetraphenylborate ion selective electrodes [26,27], TPhBE, of liquid membrane type. The membrane current, /wi-w2 was applied using two Pt electrodes. The membrane potential, AFwi-wi recorded as the potential of SSE in W2 vs. that in W1. When a constant current of 25 /aA cm was applied from W1 to W2 in the cell given as Eq. (1), the oscillation of membrane potential was observed as shown in curve 1 of Fig. 1. The oscillation of AFwi-wi continued for 40 to 60 min, and finally settled at ca. —0.40 V. 

Obviously, the ohmic potential difference does not depend on the distance of the counterelectrode (if, of course, this is sufficiently apart) being situated mainly in the neighbourhood of the ultramicroelectrode. At constant current density it is proportional to its radius. Thus, with decreasing the radius of the electrode the ohmic potential decreases which is one of the main advantages of the ultramicroelectrode, as it makes possible its use in media of rather low conductivity, as, for example, in low permittivity solvents and at very low temperatures. This property is not restricted to spherical electrodes but also other electrodes with a small characteristic dimension like microdisk electrodes behave in the same way. 

The photovoltaic effect is initiated by light absorption in the electrode material. This is practically important only with semiconductor electrodes, where the photogenerated, excited electrons or holes may, under certain conditions, react with electrolyte redox systems. The photoredox reaction at the illuminated semiconductor thus drives the complementary (dark) reaction at the counterelectrode, which again may (but need not) regenerate the reactant consumed at the photoelectrode. The regenerative mode of operation is, according to the IUPAC recommendation, denoted as photovoltaic cell and the second one as photoelectrolytic cell . Alternative classification and terms will be discussed below. 

The potential which controls the photoelectrochemical reaction is generally not the photopotential defined by Eqs (5.10.20) and (5.10.21) (except for the very special case where the values of v, REdox and the initial Fermi energy of the counterelectrode are equal). The energy which drives the photoelectrochemical reaction, eR can be expressed, for example, for an n-semiconductor electrode as... 

In limiting-current measurements, the counterelectrode is sometimes used as a reference electrode. In that case, the surface overpotential of the counterelectrode contributes to the recorded overpotential that is, the potential of the reference electrode is now current dependent. Unless precautions are taken (e.g., the area of the counterelectrode is much larger than that of the working electrode), a properly defined limiting-current plateau may not be obtained. 

Alternatively, one may control the electrode potential and monitor the current. This potentiodynamic approach is relatively easy to accomplish by use of a constant-voltage source if the counterelectrode also functions as the reference electrode. As indicated in the previous section, this may lead to various undesirable effects if a sizable ohmic potential drop exists between the electrodes, or if the overpotential of the counterelectrode is strongly dependent on current. The potential of the working electrode can be controlled instead with respect to a separate reference electrode by using a potentiostat. The electrode potential may be varied in small increments or continuously. It is also possible to impose the limiting-current condition instantaneously by applying a potential step. 

Platinum-loaded Ti02 systems can be considered as a short-circuited photo-electrochemical cell where the Ti02 semiconductor electrode and metal Pt counterelectrode are brought into contact [159]. Light irradiation can induce electron-hole (e -h +) pair formation and surface oxidation and also reduction reactions on each Pt/Ti02 particle (Figure 4.11). These powder-based systems lack the advantage of... 

A new approach to improve the performance of solar devices using natural pigments is to employ carbon nanotube (CNT)-based counter-electrodes. As previously reported, the excited dye transfers an electron to Ti02 and so it acquires a positive charge. Then, the cationic molecule subtracts an electron from the counterelectrode which is transported by the electrolyte. This reaction is usually catalyzed by means of conductive and electrocatalytically active species for triiodide reduction of carbon coatings. CNTs have a high superficial area, which represents a very... 

In such devices the light-absorbing semiconductor electrode immersed in an electrolyte solution comprises a photosensitive interface where thermodynamically uphill redox processes can be driven with optical energy. Depending on the nature of the photoelectrode, either a reduction or an oxidation half-reaction can be light-driven with the counterelectrode being the site of the accompanying half-reaction. N-type semiconductors are photoanodes, p-type semiconductors are photocathodes, and... 

A hanging mercury drop electrodeposition technique has been used [297] for a carbon filament flameless atomic absorption spectrometric method for the determination of copper in seawater. In this method, copper is transferred to the mercury drop in a simple three-electrode cell (including a counterelectrode) by electrolysis for 30 min at -0.35 V versus the SCE. After electrolysis, the drop is rinsed and transferred directly to a prepositioned water-cooled carbon-filament atomiser, and the mercury is volatilised by heating the filament to 425 °C. Copper is then atomised and determined by atomic absorption. The detection limit is 0.2 pg copper per litre simulated seawater. 

Figure 4 An ECL probe that does not require the use of a dark box. (A) Bottom view of the top piece. Shown are the patterns of channels leading to the fiberoptic bundle and the location of the stirring rod with respect to the fiberoptic bundle. (B) A detailed view of the probe. The working electrode is aligned directly under the fiberoptic bundle, and both the reference and counterelectrodes are inserted through the top of the top piece and access the solution from the side of the probe. (Adapted with permission from Ref. 30.)...

TABLE 15. Redox peak potentials of several germanium and tin clusters, in THF, 0.1 M TBAP, working electrode graphite, counterelectrode Pt wire183... 

Figure 6 Potential profile along the path from the interior of the working electrode to the interior of the counterelectrode in the electrochemical experiment illustrated in Figure 4...

This scanned mercury electrode technique is not a conventional measurement approach. We have compared Hg as a top electrode to other thin-film counterelectrodes, particularly platinum and aluminum, using known dielectric materials including a-SiOx, a-TaO and a-Al203 thin films. Current-voltage curves measured using mercury top electrodes are comparable to those measured using Pt or A1 top electrodes. 

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