Electrode kinetics

Abstract

An electrode is an ideal catalyst in that the potential difference at the electrodesolution interface controls both the thermodynamics and the kinetics of the electrochemical reactions. However, the kinetics of electrode processes are relatively unselective. Greater selectivity can be achieved by the use of modified electrodes in which a redox catalyst is attached to the electrode surface. The kinetics of charge transfer in the modified layer are discussed in this paper. Another major problem is that the reactant must find the electrode. High conversions can be achieved by using a packed bed electrode. Results are presented showing how the performance of this type of electrode can be improved by using a graded bed rather than a uniform bed.