Lessons - Pyrochemical Research and Operations (PyRO) Skip to main content
Department of Chemical Engineering
PyRO Lab and Research Group

Lessons

Video instruction and other resources for learning the fundamentals and techniques of electrochemistry.

Video Instruction

The linked pages below contain video instruction on the following topics.
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1. Introduction to Electrochemistry

An initial orientation to electrochemical terms and principles.
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2. Electrode Potentials

Review of thermodynamics and its relation to electrode potentials
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3. Electrode Kinetics

An overview of the fundamentals in kinetics of electron exchange in electrochemical reactions
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4. Mass Transfer

An overview of the fundamentals in mass transfer processes in electrochemical reactions
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Introductory Material for Electrochemical Methods

Chapter 2 of my dissertation - This chapter discusses and derives some fundamental electrochemical relations from principles and relations commonly taught to undergraduate chemical engineers.

Concentration Measurements In Molten Chloride Salts Using Electrochemical Methods - This article reviews the common electrochemical methods and their key analytical relations along with unique challenges to performing electrochemical measurements in molten salts.

Electrochemical Measurements in Molten Salt Systems: A Guide and Perspective - This article address some of the equipment and instrumental aspects of making electrochemical measurements in molten salts

A Practical Beginner’s Guide to Cyclic Voltammetry - A good simple and practical introduction to cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical practices

A couple of important concepts to try and keep straight in electrochemistry:

  • Chemical reversibility and electrochemical reversibility (A good explanation can be found here)
  • Soluble-soluble: The reactant and the product of an electrochemical reaction is soluble in the solution (e.g., Cr3+ + 1e- = Cr2+)
  • Soluble-insoluble: The reactant of an electrochemical reaction is soluble in solution, but the product is not soluble in the solution (e.g., La3+ + 3e- = La, where La is not soluble in the solution being used)

Cyclic Voltammetry (soluble-soluble)

Online Tutorial and Simulation - This tool provides a web interface for simulating soluble-soluble cyclic voltammograms. It also provide breif explanation of the electrochemical relations and equations involved in the simulation. Just keep in mind, that this is specific to soluble-soluble reactions

Theory of Stationary Electrode Polarography. Single Scan and Cyclic Methods Applied to Reversible, Irreversible, and Kinetic Systems. - Extensive review of the theory for electrochemically reversible and irreversible, soluble-soluble cyclic voltammetry models with derivations.

On the theory of Randles‐Sevčik's cathode ray polarography - Derivation of the theory for electrochemically quasi-reversible, soluble-soluble cyclic voltammetry relations (in German).

Cyclic Voltammetry (soluble-insoluble)

Oscillographic Polarographic Waves for the Reversible Deposition of Metals on Solid Electrodes - Derivation of electrochemically reversible, soluble-insoluble relations for linear sweep or forward scan of cyclic voltammetry. This assumes a pure deposit.

Bringing the Analysis of Electrodeposition Signals in Voltammetry Out of the Shadows. - A brief review of the challenges in performing potential sweep (linear sweep or cyclic) voltammetry on electrodeposition in molten salts. This paper introduces some of the concepts and models described in greater detail in the following 3 papers.

Linear sweep and staircase voltammetries for reversible deposition of metal ions on the same metal and on foreign substrates - This paper derives the theory and relations for depositing metal onto an electrode of a different metal. This only works for electrochemically reversible, soluble-insoluble systems where the depositing metal is different from the electrode.

A complementary survey of staircase voltammetry with metal ion deposition on macroelectrodes - A recap of the previous paper with some extensions into electrochemical irreversibility, quasi-reversibility, uncompensated resistance, and three-dimensional nucleation

Semi-analytical modelling of linear scan voltammetric responses for soluble-insoluble system: The case of metal deposition - Development of electrochemically quasi-reversible, soluble-insoluble relations for a pure deposit.

More to come...