Course content

Electric potentials and fields. Conductivity and capacitance. Thermodynamics of aqueous solutions: Activities and the Debye-Hückel-model. Electrolysis cells and galvanic cells with and without transfer. Potential differences across Liquid junctions. Electrosynthesis of metals and chemicals, electrodialysis and salt splitting. Electrochemical energy storage: Batteries and fuel cells. Electrodes and electrode reactions. Electrode kinetics: Current-voltage characteristics of charge-transfer reactions. Reaction order. Transport processes and mass transfer coefficients. Electrochemistry in analysis of the environment and environmental remediation. Elektrochemical description of biological cells. Transport-, activation- and ohmich overpotential. The electrochemical double layer in brief. Demonstration of a rotating electrode and a potensiostat.

Learning outcome

Upon course completion the student is able to

- define central parts of electrochemical cells and electrochemical equipment such as anode, cathode, membrane, diaphragm, liquid junction, reference electrode, and potentiostat
- define and relate mathematically basic physical and thermodynamic concepts related to electrochemical cells such as electric potential, electric field, cell potential, null potential, electrochemical potential, and activity
- account for sign conventions
- account for the electrochemical series and representation of electrochemical thermodynamics in Pourbaix diagrams
- define and describe mathematically diffusion, migration, and convection
-define transport, kinetic and ohmic overpotential
-calculate the combined transport and kinetic overpotential for electrodes at which a one-electron reaction takes place and for which transport can be described through mass transfer coefficients
- calculate ohmic overpotential for dilute solutions for macro- and microelectrodes such as trough electrodes, hemispherical electrodes, and disk electrodes
- calculate Tafel slopes and reaction orders for multiple-step electrochemical reactions in the absence of transport limitations
- calculate liquid-junction and membrane potentials in simple cases
- analyze a given electrochemical cell or experiment, judge to which extent the approximations underlying the above equations apply, and explain and predict quantitatively the outcome for cases in which they do
- describe the structure of the electrified interface, and define and describe mathematically the capacitance of the Helmholz layer
- give an overview of applications of electrochemistry in synthesis and purification of materials and chemicals, energy storage, biology, and analysis and remediation of the environment, and provide a description of selected processes within these areas

Learning methods and activities

Lectures and exercises. 2/3 of the exercises must be approved to qualify for the exam. During the course an excursion to visit electrochemical industries may be arranged.

Compulsory assignments

• Midt term
• Exercises

Recommended previous knowledge

Basic knowledge of chemistry and physics corresponding to TMT4110 Chemistry, TMT4115 General Chemistry and TMT4120/TFY4104 Physics.

Course materials

K. B. Oldham, J. C. Myland, and A. B. Bond, Electrochemical Science and Technology, John Wiley & Sons, Chichester (2012), ISBN 978047071045 (PB). Also availabele as e-book and in HB.

Credit reductions