Thermodynamics electrode potential references

In the past the electrostatic convention has often been called the European convention and the thermodynamic convention popularized by Luitmer (The Oxidation Potentials of the Elements and Their Values in Aqueous Solution Prenlicc-HBlI Englewood Cliffs. NJ, (952) the American convention. In an effort to reduce confusion, the IUPAC adopted the "Stockholm convention" in which electrode potentials refer to the electrostatic potential and end s refer to the thermodynamic quantity. Furthermore, the recommendation is that standard reduction potentials be listed as electrode potentials" to avoid the possibility of confusion over signs. 

Despite the favorable properties of acetonitrile as a solvent, its use for equilibrium acidity measurements has its definite limitations. The pK range that is tolerable is limited at the high end by onset of solvent deprotonation, and at the low end by substrate autodissociation, as has been implicated for HCo(CO)4 [14a] and TpCr(CO)3H [22b]. These limitations can be overcome by the choice of a less polar solvent, e.g. 1,2-dichloroethane (DCE), dichloromethane, or THE. To make reliable, quantitative comparisons of thermodynamic data obtained in different solvents, it is necessary to link the acidity scales and electrode potential references in the different solvents. This has all too often proven to be a far from trivial task. Although, in principle, 1 1 relationship between the acidity scales in different solvents never exists, pK differences between closely related compounds are often almost constant when compared in different solvents. This is because their solvation properties are similar, because of similarities in size and charge distribution. In less... 

The working and reference electrodes are thus poised at a set potential, which will be between 3 V, since almost the whole of organic electrochemistry occurs within this 6-V range. (These are true thermodynamic electrode potentials and 4-3 V corresponds roughly to the oxidation of benzene, while -3 V corresponds roughly to the reduction of benzene.) Pyrrole electro-oxidation typically takes place above +0.8 V (versus SCE reference). 

The thermodynamics of electrochemical reactions can be understood by considering the standard electrode potential, the potential of a reaction under standard conditions of temperature and pressure where all reactants and products are at unit activity. Table 1 Hsts a variety of standard electrode potentials. The standard potential is expressed relative to the standard hydrogen reference electrode potential in units of volts. A given reaction tends to proceed in the anodic direction, ie, toward the oxidation reaction, if the potential of the reaction is positive with respect to the standard potential. Conversely, a movement of the potential in the negative direction away from the standard potential encourages a cathodic or reduction reaction. 

Several significant electrode potentials of interest in aqueous batteries are listed in Table 2 these include the oxidation of carbon, and oxygen evolution/reduction reactions in acid and alkaline electrolytes. For example, for the oxidation of carbon in alkaline electrolyte, E° at 25 °C is -0.780 V vs. SHE or -0.682 V (vs. Hg/HgO reference electrode) in 0.1 molL IC0 2 at pH [14]. Based on the standard potentials for carbon in aqueous electrolytes, it is thermodynamically stable in water and other aqueous solutions at a pH less than about 13, provided no oxidizing agents are present. 

The value of polarization defined by Eq. (2.21) is referred to a calculated value of equilibrium potential of the reaction, rather than to the electrode s effective open-circuit potential, when the latter is not the equilibrium potential. Sometimes a thermodynamic calculation of the equilibrium potential is not possible for instance, when several electrode reactions occur simultaneously. In this case one either uses, conditionally, the concept of a polarization which via Eq. (2.21) refers to the effective open-circuit potential, or (since the latter is often irreproducible) one simply discusses electrode potentials at specified current densities rather than the potential shift away from some original value. 

Considerable practical importance attaches to the fact that the data in Table 6.11 refer to electrode potentials which are thermodynamically reversible. There are electrode processes which are highly irreversible so that the order of ionic displacement indicated by the electromotive series becomes distorted. One condition under which this situation arises is when the dissolving metal passes into the solution as a complex anion, which dissociates to a very small extent and maintains a very low concentration of metallic cations in the solution. This mechanism explains why copper metal dissolves in potassium cyanide solution with the evolution of hydrogen. The copper in the solution is present almost entirely as cuprocyanide anions [Cu(CN)4]3, the dissociation of which by the process... 

In the case of a solution with a previously known aH+ (see below), we could determine 2°H+-.H2(iatm)> provided that a reference electrode of zero potential is available however, experiments, especially with the capillary electrometer of Lippmann, did not yield the required confirmation about the realization of such a zero reference electrode16. Later attempts to determine a single electrode potential on the basis of a thermodynamic treatment also were not successful17. For this reason, the original and most practical proposal by Nernst of assigning to the standard 1 atm hydrogen potential a value of zero at any temperature has been adopted. Thus, for F2H+ H2(iatm) we can write... 

The aim of this review is to first provide an introduction of electrocatalysis with the hope that it may introduce the subject to non-electrochemists. The emphasis is therefore on the surface chemistry of electrode reactions and the physics of the electrode electrolyte interface. A brief background of the interface and the thermodynamic basis of electrode potential is presented first in Section 2, followed by an introduction to electrode kinetics in Section 3. This introductory material is by no means comprehensive, but will hopefully provide sufficient background for the rest of the review. For more comprehensive accounts, please see texts listed in the references.1-3... 

Some other theoretical aspects of ionic solvation have been reviewed in the last few years. The interested reader is referred to them ionic radii and enthalpies of hydration 20>, a phenomenological approach to cation-solvent interactions mainly based on thermodynamic data 21>, relationship between hydration energies and electrode potentials 22>, dynamic structure of solvation shells 23>. Brief reviews, monographs, and surveys on this subject from a more or less different point of view have also been published 24—28) ... 

We will now look at the effects of Ej on thermodynamic calculations, and then decide on the various methods that can be used to minimize them. One of the most common reasons for performing a calculation with an electrochemical cell is to determine the concentration or activity of an ion. In order to carry out such a calculation, we would first construct a cell, and then, knowing the potential of the reference electrode, we would determine the half-cell potential, i.e. the electrode potential E of interest, and then apply the Nemst equation. 

Having revised a few basic electrochemical ideas, such as the nature of reference electrodes, the standard hydrogen electrode and the scale based on it, we next looked briefly at thermodynamic parameters such as the electrode potential E, the standard electrode potential f and emf, and then discussed how AG, AH and AS (where the prime indicates a frustrated cell equilibrium ) may be determined. 

It has been mentioned that = E when the reference system is the oxidation of molecular hydrogen to solvated (hydrated) protons. The standard electrode potential of the hydrogen electrode is chosen as 0 V. Thermodynamically it means that not only the standard free energy of formation of hydrogen (/r ) is zero - which is a rule in thermodynamics (see Table 2) - but also that of the solvated hydrogen ion /U.S+ = O . (The old standard values of were calculated using = atm = 101325 Pa. The new ones are related to 10 Pa (1 bar). It causes a difference in the potential of the SHE of -i- 0.169 mV, that... 

It is useful to briefly discuss some of the common and, perhaps, less common experimental approaches to determine the kinetics and thermodynamics of radical anion reactions. While electrochemical methods tend to be most often employed, other complementary techniques are increasingly valuable. In particular, laser flash photolysis and photoacoustic calorimetry provide independent measures of kinetics and thermodynamics of molecules and ion radicals. As most readers will not be familiar with all of these techniques, they will be briefly reviewed. In addition, the use of convolution voltammetry for the determination of electrode kinetics is discussed in more detail as this technique is not routinely used even by most electrochemists. Throughout this chapter we will reference all electrode potentials to the saturated calomel electrode and energies are reported in kcal mol. ... 

If we choose a set of standard conditions (cf. Section 2.3) and one convenient half-cell to serve as a reference for all others, then a set of standard half-cell EMFs or standard electrode potentials E° (Appendix D)1-9 can be measured while drawing a negligible electrical current, that is, with the cell working reversibly so that the equations of reversible thermodynamics... 

This is, in fact, the way electrode potentials are measured in practice. A cell is made up of the electrode of interest (the working electrode, e.g., Cu in Fig. 7.14) and a reference electrode made of Pt over which is bubbled Hj- No current passes through the reference electrode, which is therefore at its thermodynamically reversible potential. A counter-electrode (not shown in Fig. 7.14) is coupled through a power source... 

Note that some electrochemical cells use, instead of conventional reference electrodes, indicator electrodes. These are electrodes that are not thermodynamically reversible but which may hold then-potential constant 1 mV for some minutes—enough to make some nonsteady-state measurements (see Chapter 8). Such electrodes can simply be wires of inert materials, e.g.. smooth platinum without the conditions necessary to make it a standard electrode exhibiting a thermodynamically reversible potential. However, many different electrode materials may serve m this relatively undemanding role. 

As we have seen, acidity and basicity are intimately connected with electron transfer. When the electron transfer involves an integral number of electrons it is customary to refer to the process as a redox reaction. This is not the place for a thorough discussion of the thermodynamics of electrochemistry that may be found in any good textbook of physical chemistry. Rather, we shall investigate the applications of electromotive force (emf) of interest to the inorganic chemist. Nevertheless, a very brief review of the conventions and thermodynamics of electrode potentials and half-reactions will be presented. 

Although the entire discussion of electrochemistry thus far has been in terms of aqueous solutions, the same principles apply equaly well to nonaqueous solvents. As a result of differences in solvation energies, electrode potentials may vary considerably from those found in aqueous solution. In addition the oxidation and reduction potentials characteristic of the solvent vary with the chemical behavior of the solvent. as a result of these two effects, it is often possible to carry out reactions in a nonaqueous solvent that would be impossible in water. For example, both sodium and beryllium are too reactive to be electroplated from aqueous solution, but beryllium can be electroplated from liquid ammonia and sodium from solutions in pyridine. 0 Unfortunately, the thermodynamic data necessary to construct complete tables of standard potential values are lacking for most solvents other than water. Jolly 1 has compiled such a table for liquid ammonia. The hydrogen electrode is used as the reference point to establish the scale as in water ... 

It is a relatively simple process to set up a scale of redox potentials in a non-aqueous medium using the standard hydrogen electrode in that medium as the fundamental reference electrode. Thus in liquid ammonia, which is a well studied non-aqueous solvent and for which there exists a considerable amount of thermodynamic information,31 the scale of standard electrode potentials is referred to the standard hydrogen electrode in liquid ammonia (equation 25), which is assigned the value of zero volts, and in which the H+ exists as a solvated species, i.e. NH4+. 

Reference electrode potentials change with temperature. Both electrochemical reactions (Nernstian thermodynamics) and chemical solubilities, e.g. of the inner reference electrode solution, are affected. Accordingly, the temperature coefficient, dE/dT (mV °C4), varies from one type of reference electrode to another. To minimise errors in potential readings the coefficient should be low and at least known. Examples of temperature coefficients are given in Table 2.2. 

Some Practical Considerations in the Use of Salt Bridges. Salt bridges are most commonly used to diminish or stabilize the junction potential between solutions of different composition and to minimize cross-contamination between solutions. For example, in working with nonaqueous solvents an aqueous reference electrode often is used that is isolated from the test solution by a salt bridge that contains the organic solvent. However, this practice cannot be recommended, except on the grounds of convenience, because there is no way at present to relate thermodynamically potentials in different solvents to the same aqueous reference-electrode potential furthermore, there is a risk of contamination of the nonaqueous solvent by water. 

One way to divide the types of electrochemical noise is by the manner in which it is collected. Potential noise refers to measurements of the open circuit potential of an electrode versus either a reference electrode or a nominally identical electrode. While measurements with a conventional reference electrode have the advantage of being relatable to thermodynamic conditions, these reference electrodes have their own noise associated with them that could complicate analysis. In addition, the application of noise monitoring to field conditions would be... 

Refs. [i] Kahlert H (2002) Potentiometry. In Scholz F (ed) Electroana-lytical methods. Springer, Berlin, p 229 [ii] Petrii OA, TsirlinaGA (2002) Electrode potentials. In Bard AJ, Stratman M, Gileadi E, Urbakh M (eds) Thermodynamics and electrified interfaces. Encyclopedia of electrochemistry, vol.l. Wiley-VCH, Weinheim, p 10 [iii] KahlertH (2002) Reference electrodes. In Scholz F (ed) Electroanalytical methods. Springer, Berlin, pp 261-277... 

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