CBE Interdisciplinary Glossary

 

 

Electrochemistry

 

ANODE/CATHODE  

Anode: In an electrochemical cell, the electrode at which oxidation occurs;  the positive electrode in an electrolytic cell and the negative electrode in a voltaic cell.

 

Cathode: In an electrochemical cell, the electrode where reduction is occurring;  the negative electrode in an electrolytic cell and the positive electrode in a voltaic cell.

 

CORROSION POTENTIAL The electrode potential at which anodic and cathodic rates of reaction are equal. Symbolized Ecorr. Ecorr is formally a mixed potential and refers to an electrode where metal oxidation is the anodic reaction.

 

ELECTRICAL DOUBLE LAYER Layer which forms at solid/liquid interfaces as a result of a net charge on the solid surface (usually negative) causing a localized layer of neutralizing counterions (usually positive) from the solution phase to form near the solid surface.

 

MICROBIALLY INFLUENCED CORROSION (MIC) The microbially assisted establishment of an electrochemical cell, or direct microbial stimulation of the anodic or cathodic reactions. (Note: Though MIC is sometimes called Microbially Induced Corrosion, the use of the word influenced is preferred by microbiologists.)

 

NOBLE A metal or alloy which in nature occurs commonly in the free state. Also refers to the electrochemical state of metals whose corrosion products are formed with a low negative or a positive free energy.

 

OVERPOTENTIAL (AKA overvoltage) The deviation of an electrode potential from its equilibrium value required to produce a net flow of current across an electrode/solution interface.

ACTIVATION OVERPOTENTIAL The electric potential difference over and above the equilibrium value required to produce a net flow of current across an electrode/solution interface.

CONCENTRATION OVERPOTENTIAL An electric potential difference caused by differences in electroactive species concentration between bulk solution and the electrode surface. Occurs when electrochemical reaction is sufficiently rapid to lower surface concentration of electroactive species below that of bulk solution. Negligibly small when reaction rate constant is much smaller than the mass transfer coefficient.

 

VALENCE VS. CHARGE OF ION The valence is the number of loosely bound electrons a neutral atom can give up or accept in forming a bond; it is a theoretical number. In ionic bonding the electrons are completely transferred, and bonding is electrostatic. In purely covalent bonding electron pairs are equally shared and only partially transferred. All degrees of electron transfer are possible, resulting in differing extents of covalent and ionic bonding. The charge of a species is the total number of protons minus the total number of electrons multiplied by the charge of an electron. This again has only a rough theoretical significance, since the charge on a species can be diffusely spread over a large number of solvent molecules in solution (solvation shell).

 

 

 

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