Oxidation-reduction electrolytes

The manufacture of metal in powder form is a complex and highly engineered operation. It is dominated by the variables of the powder, namely those that are closely connected with an individual powder particle, those that refer to the mass of particles which form the powder, and those that refer to the voids in the particles themselves. In a mass of loosely piled powder, >60% of the volume consists of voids. The primary methods for the manufacture of metal powders are atomization, the reduction of metal oxides, and electrolytic deposition (15,16). Typical metal powder particle shapes are shown in Figure 5. 

The term electrochromism was apparently coined to describe absorption line shifts induced in dyes by strong electric fields (1). This definition of electrocbromism does not, however, fit within the modem sense of the word. Electrochromism is a reversible and visible change in transmittance and/or reflectance that is associated with an electrochemicaHy induced oxidation—reduction reaction. This optical change is effected by a small electric current at low d-c potential. The potential is usually on the order of 1 V, and the electrochromic material sometimes exhibits good open-circuit memory. Unlike the well-known electrolytic coloration in alkaU haUde crystals, the electrochromic optical density change is often appreciable at ordinary temperatures. 

The battery acts as an electron pump, pushing electrons into the cathode, C, and removing diem from the anode, A. To maintain electrical neutrality, some process within the cell must consume electrons at C and liberate them at A. This process is an oxidation-reduction reaction when carried out in an electrolytic cell, it is called electrolysis. At the cathode, an ion or molecule undergoes reduction by accepting electrons. At the anode, electrons are produced by the oxidation of an ion or molecule. 

Analytical methods based upon oxidation/reduction reactions include oxidation/reduction titrimetry, potentiometry, coulometry, electrogravimetry and voltammetry. Faradaic oxidation/reduction equilibria are conveniently studied by measuring the potentials of electrochemical cells in which the two half-reactions making up the equilibrium are participants. Electrochemical cells, which are galvanic or electrolytic, reversible or irreversible, consist of two conductors called electrodes, each of which is immersed in an electrolyte solution. In most of the cells, the two electrodes are different and must be separated (by a salt bridge) to avoid direct reaction between the reactants. 

The first report of the SERS spectrum of a species adsorbed at the electrode/ electrolyte interface was by Fleischman et al (1974) and concerned pyridine on silver. The Raman spectrum of the adsorbed pyridine was only observed after repeated oxidation/reduction cycles of the silver electrode, which resulted in a roughened surface. Initially, it was thought that the 106-fold enhancement in emission intensity arose as a result of the substantially increased surface area of the Ag and thus depended simply on the amount of adsorbate. However, Jeanmarie and Van Duync (1977) and Albrecht and Creighton (1977), independently reported that only a single oxidation/reduction cycle was required to produce an intense Raman spectrum and calculations showed that the increase in surface area could not possibly be sufficient to give the observed enhancement. 

Electroanalytical techniques are an extension of classical oxidation-reduction chemistry, and indeed oxidation and reduction processes occur at the surface of or within the two electrodes, oxidation at one and reduction at the other. Electrons are consumed by the reduction process at one electrode and generated by the oxidation process at the other. The electrode at which oxidation occurs is termed the anode. The electrode at which reduction occurs is termed the cathode. The complete system, with the anode connected to the cathode via an external conductor, is often called a cell. The individual oxidation and reduction reactions are called half-reactions. The individual electrodes with their half-reactions are called half-cells. As we shall see in this chapter, the half-cells are often in separate containers (mostly to prevent contamination) and are themselves often referred to as electrodes because they are housed in portable glass or plastic tubes. In any case, there must be contact between the half-cells to facilitate ionic diffusion. This contact is called the salt bridge and may take the form of an inverted U-shaped tube filled with an electrolyte solution, as shown in Figure 14.2, or, in most cases, a small fibrous plug at the tip of the portable unit, as we will see later in this chapter. 

The nanostructured Au and AuPt catalysts were found to exhibit electrocatalytic activity for ORR reaction. The cyclic voltammetric (CV) curves at Au/C catalyst reveal an oxidation-reduction wave of gold oxide at +200 mV in the alkaline (0.5 M KOH) electrolyte but little redox current in the acidic (0.5 M H2SO4) electrolyte. Under saturated with O2, the appearance of the cathodic wave is observed at -190 mV in the alkaline electrolyte and at +50 mV in the acidic electrolyte. This finding indicates that the Au catalyst is active toward O2 reduction in both electrolytes. From the Levich plots of the limiting current vs. rotating speed data, one can derive the electron transfer number (w). We obtained n = 3.1 for ORR in 0.5 M KOH electrolyte, and 2.9 for ORR in 0.5 M H2SO4 electrolyte. The intermittent n-value between 2 and 4 indicates that the electrocatalytic ORR at the Au/Ccatalyst likely involved mixed 2e and 4e reduction processes. 

At elevated temperatures, there are five possible reactions that can occur between the cell components (1) thermal decomposition of bulk electrolyte (2) chemical reduction of electrolyte by the anode (3) chemical oxidation of electrolyte by the cathode (4) thermal decomposition of the cathode and anode or (5) melting of the separator and the consequent internal short. To identify which of these contributes the decisive amount of heat that is critical in initiating the thermal runaway, it is necessary to study the thermal responses of these individual components or component couples separately. 

Eor the purpose of modeling, consider a planar SOEC divided into anode gas channel, anode gas diffusion electrode, anode interlayer (active electrode), electrolyte, cathode interlayer (active electrode), cathode gas diffusion electrode, and cathode gas channel. The electrochemical reactions occur in the active regions of the porous electrodes (i.e., interlayers). In an SOFC, oxidant reduction occurs in the active cathode. The oxygen ions are then transported through the electrolyte, after which oxidation of the fuel occurs in the active anode by the following reactions. 

This half cell has the highest reduction potential. This implies that fluorides cannot be oxidized chemically by any substance listed in electrochemical series. They can be oxidized only electrolytically. 

Eclipsed conformation, 7, 254 Electrocyclic reactions, 341, 344-348 Electrol ic oxidation, 307 Electrolytic reduction, 307 Electromeric effect, 24 Electron configuration, 3 Electron density, 21, 26, 29, 393 Electron-donating groups, 23, 26 addition to 0=C and, 183 addition to 0=0 and, 205, 206 aromatic substitution and, 153, 158 pinacol change and, 115 Electronegativity, 21, 22, 95 Electrons, lone pair, 10, 72 Electron spin, paired, 2, 308 Electron-withdrawing groups, 23 acidity and, 59, 61, 62, 272... 

The basic requirement of the redox oxidant in contact with n-type semiconductors is that it has an equilibrium potential more negative than the decomposition potential of the semiconductor and more positive than the lower edge of the semiconductor conduction band. The basic requirement of the reductant electrolyte is that its redox equilibrium potential be negative of the oxidant electrolyte and more positive than the lower edge of the semiconductor conduction band. More work will be necessary at characterizing solid electro-lyte/semiconductor interfaces with those solid electrolytes available before satisfactory solid-state devices capable of photocharge can be realized. 

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