Electrochemistry

The course topics are:
- Review of basic concept of electrochemical thermodynamics: electrochemical and thermodynamic reversibility; thermodynamics of the galvanic cell; the Volta, surface and Galvani potentials; the electrochemical potential; formation of the electric double layer; thermodynamics of the interphase: the electrocapillary curve. The models of Helmholtz, Guy-Chapmann and Stern. Adsorption of anions. Plots of excess surface charge density as a function of polarization; Debye Huckel's theory. The limit law and the extended law. The limits of the D-H theory; the Pourbaix diagrams.
- Review of basic concepts of electrochemical kinetics applied to monostep-monoelectron reaction: Butler Volmer equation and Tafel plot. The Morse curves. The symmetry factor and the exchange current density; reaction order
- Multistep multielectron electrochemical reactions. The transfer coefficient.
- Marcus Theory.
- The limiting current density and modification of fundamental equations of electrochemical kinetics when RDS is mass transfer.
- Electrocatalysis and reaction mechanisms. In particular, the mechanisms for the hydrogen evolution reaction, oxygen evolution/reduction, and for some organic reactions will be analyzed.
- Industrial electrochemical processes. The chloralkali process, the electrodeposition processes, and finally the adiponitrile production process will be analyzed.
- Advanced energy conversion systems.