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18
Introduction to
electrochemistry
Goal of this chapter
• To learn redox reactions and their features.
• To learn the concept of electrochemical cells.
• To learn redox reactions in electrochemical
cells.
• To learn IUPAC convention in representing
electrochemical cells.
• To learn electrode potential and cell potential.
• To learn standard hydrogen electrode and
standard electrode potential.
• To learn the effect of concentration on electrode
potential.
Review of balancing redox equations
using half reactions
How to balance following redox reaction:
Cr 2 O 7 2 (aq) + SO 3 2 (aq) ® Cr 3+ (aq) + SO 4 2 (aq)
• Divide the redox reaction to two half reactions and
balance the half reactions separately.
• Reduction half reaction:
14H + + 6e + Cr 2 O 7 2 (aq) ® Cr 3+ (aq) + 7H 2 O
• Oxidation half reaction:
3[H 2 O +SO 3 2 (aq) ® SO 4 2 (aq) + 2e + 2H + ]
• Combining two half reactions to obtain balanced reaction:
Cr 2 O 7 2 (aq) + 3SO 3 (aq) + 8H + (aq) ®
2Cr 3+ (aq) + 3SO 4 2 (aq) + 4H 2 O(l)
Q How many electrons have been transferred in this reaction
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Fundamental Terminology
Electrochemistry study of redox processes at interfaces
by using electric measurements Heterogeneous
So two reactions occurring:
oxidation
reduction
Oxidation: R à O + ne
loss of electrons by R
Reduction: O + ne à R
gain of electrons by O
Oxidant = oxidizing agent
reactant which oxidizes another reactant and which is
itself reduced
Reductant = reducing agent
reactant which reduces another reactant and which is
itself oxidized
Compare redox reaction with
acid/base reaction
• Redox reaction:
A Red + B Ox A Ox + B Red
• Acid/base reaction:
Acid 1 + Base 2 Base 1 + Acid 2
• An acid/base reaction is PROTON exchange reaction.
• A redox reaction is an ELECTRON exchange reaction.
• In acid/base reactions, we have acid/conjugate base pair.
• In redox reactions, redox pair
eg. Ag + /Ag, SO 4 2 /SO 3 2 , CrO 4 2 /Cr 3+ , O 2 /H 2 O 2
C.) Electrochemical Cell:
1.) Basic Setup:
a) Two electrodes
b) electrolytes solution
c) external connection between electrodes (wire)
d) internal connection via contact with a common solution or by
different solutions connected by a salt bridge.
salt bridge – acts to isolate two halves of electrochemical cell while
allowing migration of ions and current flow.
usually consists of a tube filled with potassium chloride
separate species to prevent direct chemical reactions
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2.) Flow of current (charge) in cell:
a) electrons (e ) within wires between two electrodes
b) ions within solution of each half cell (anions & cations) and
through salt bridge.
c) electrochemical reactions at electrode
electrons Current
Cu 2+ (aq) à Cu(s)
Cathode
Zn(s) à Zn 2+ (aq)
Anode
Cl Cl K + K +
Zn 2+
Zn 2+ Cu 2+ Cu 2+
SO 4 2 SO 4 2
3.) Types of Cells:
Galvanic Cells – reaction occurs naturally
positive potential (E cell = +)
exothermic à produces energy
Electrolytic Cells – reaction does not occur naturally, requires
external stimulus (energy) to occur
negative potential (E cell = )
endothermic à requires energy
Chemically Reversible Cell – a cell in which reversing the direction of
the current simply reverses the chemical reaction
4.) Electrodes:
a.) Cathode – electrode where reduction occurs
Anode – electrode where oxidation occurs
b.) Examples of cathode half reactions:
Cu 2+ + 2e à Cu(s)
Fe 2+ à Fe 3+ + e
AgCl(s) + e à Ag(s) + Cl
e supplied by electrical current via electrode
species (products/reactants) can both be in solution (Fe 3+ /Fe 2+ )
solids or coated on electrodes (AgCl(s)/Ag(s) or combination (Cu 2+ /Cu(s))
An example of a Galvanic cell
Electron flow
Salt bridge
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Representing cells schematically
You can also indicate the concentration of related ions
in the cell diagram
Representing cells schematically
A cell without salt bridge
Pt, H 2 (1.00 atm) I AgCl(sat’d), HCl (0.01 M)I Ag
The potentials of electrochemical cells
• The potential of an electrochemical cell is an indication of the
tendency chemical reactions of the cell will occur
spontaneously on the electrodes.
• The potential of an electrochemical cell is a state function,
related to the free energy (DG) and the equilibrium constant of
cell reaction by
DG = nFE cell = RTlnK eq .
Where: DG: free energy change of the reaction in the
electrochemical cell.
n: number of electron transferred in the reaction.
F: Faraday’s constant (96487 C mol 1 )
R: ideal gas law constant (8.316 J mol 1 K 1 )
T: temperature (K).
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How to calculate potentials of
electrochemical cells
• The reaction in an electrochemical cell consists of
two half reactions on two electrodes.
• The potential of an electrochemical cell can also be
divided to two parts: the two half cell potentials:
E cell = E right – E left
E right : the potential of the right half cell
E left : the potential of the left half cell
Sign convention for cell potential
• An electrochemical cell consists from two halfcells
expressed as in following:
Zn|ZnSO4(aZn 2+ = 0.0100)||CuSO4(aCu 2+ = 0.0100)|Cu
Left half cell II Right half cell
E left E right
• If E right > E left ,
E cell = E right – E left > 0
The electrochemical cell is a Galvanic cell. The
chemical reaction occurs spontaneously.
If E right < E left ,
E cell = E right – E left < 0
The electrochemical cell is an electrolyte cell. An
external voltage is needed to drive the chemical
reaction in the cell.
How to know the potential of half cells
• Problem – can not measure
potential of just one electrode.
i. need to compare to another
electrode
• Solution: determine potential of all
half cell reactions vs. a common
reference electrode
• Reference electrode – standard
hydrogen electrode (SHE) HCl
IIH + (aH + = 1.0 M) | Pt,H 2 (1 atm)
aH + = 1.0 M
2H + + 2e à H 2 (g)
E SHE = 0.000 V (by definition!)
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How to measure potential of an electrode
Standard electrode potential, E 0
• Definition: the potential of a half reaction measured with a
SHE as a reference right hand electrode and the concentration
of all the components participate the half reaction is unit.
• The standard electrode potential can be measured with
following electrochemical cell.
MIM n+ (C M n+ = 1.00)IIH + (C H + = 1.00) IH 2 (p = 1 atm) Pt
• How to measure standard electrode potential:
The standard electrode potential of
some half reactions
As E o increases à oxidizing ability of ½ cell reaction increases
Reaction at Interface Halfcell Potential (E o )
Al 3+ + 3e à Al 1.706 V
Zn 2+ + 2e à Zn 0.763 V
Easily reduced, Better Oxidizing Agent
Easily oxidized, Better Reducing Agent
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Characteristics of standard
electrode potential, E 0
• Measured as a potential for a half reaction refers
exclusively to a reduction reaction.
• Measured as a right hand electrode potential with SHE
as a left hand electrode in an electrochemical cell.
• Measured with the activity of all components
participating the half reaction being unit.
• Independent of the number of moles of reactants and
products shown in the balanced half reaction.
• E 0 > 0 means the half reaction in question is
spontaneous with respect to the standard hydrogen
electrode half reaction, which means the oxidant of the
question half reaction is a STRONGER OXIDANT than is
hydrogen ion.
• E 0 depends on temperature.
Electrode potential in condition
other than standard conditions
For half reaction:
pP + qQ + ne à rR + sS
RT (a ) r (a ) s
R S
Eelectrode = E 0 - ln (Nernst Equation)
nF (a ) p (a ) q
P Q
where:
R = ideal gas law constant (8.316 J mol 1 K 1 )
T = absolute temperature (K)
n = number of electrons in process
F = Faraday’s constant (96487 C mol 1 )
a = activities of each species
in solution at time of measurement
not necessarily at equilibrium
Nernst Equation at room temperature
• At room Temperature (298 K):
RT 2.5693 * 10 -2
= V
nF n
• If using log 10 :
0.0592 (a ) r (a ) s
R S
Eelectrode = E 0 - log
n (a ) p (a ) q
P Q
If know E o , allows E electrode to be calculated under non
standard conditions.
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Application of Nernst equation in
calculating potentials of half reactions
The standard electrode potential of Ag + /Ag is 0.799 V. what is
potential of following electrode:
Ag, AgCl I Cl (aCl = 1.00)II
Electrode half reaction:
Ag + + e à Ag
From Nernst equation:
0.0592 1
EAg + / Ag = E 0 Ag + / Ag - log
1 (a Ag + )
AgCl/Ag electrode potential
Continued
From question statement, aCl = 1.00
Therefore,
0.0592 1
EAg + / Ag = E 0 Ag + / Ag - log
1 K sp
0.0592
= 0.799 - * pK sp
1
= 0.799 - 0.0592 * 9.73 = 0.222 V = E 0 AgCl / Ag
How to calculate the potential of an
electrochemical cell
• For an electrochemical cell consisting two electrodes:
Pt I Ox 1 , Red 1 (aOx1 , aRed1 ) II (aOx2 , aRed2 ) Red 2 , Ox 2 I Pt
And the redox reaction equilibrium:
aRed 1 + bOx 2 cOx 1 + dRed 2
Ecell = EOx2/Red2 E Ox1/Red 1
0.0592 (a Ox1)c (a Re d 2 ) d
= E 0 Ox2/Red2 E 0 Ox1/Red 1 ln
n (a Ox 2)b (a Re d 1 ) a
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Examples of calculating the
potential of an electrochemical cell
Considering following electrochemical cell:
Solution:
Half reactions and E 0 values:
Cu 2+ + 2e à Cu E 0 Cu 2+ /Cu = 0.377 V
Ag + + e à Ag E 0 Ag + /Ag = 0.799 V
Calculating the potential of an electrochemical cell
Continued
• The potential of the two electrodes at conditions stated in
the question:
0.0592 1 0.0592 1
ECu2+ / Cu = E0 Cu2 + / Cu - log 2 + = 0.337- log = 0.2867 V
2 aCu 2 0.0200
Effect of chemical equilibria on
electrode potential
• In a diluted solution, equilibrium concentration can
be used in electrode potential calculation. However,
in a solution with strong electrolyte effect, activity
must be used in the potential calculation.
• If multiequilibrium exist in a solution, the effect of
other equilibria on the concentration of the species
participating the electrode half reaction must
counted.
• In most of cases, the system become so
complicated that theoretical calculation is very
difficult or impossible. Then, the potential of a
specific condition is obtained through experimental
measurement.
• The potential of an electrode at specific condition is
also called FORMAL POTENTIAL.
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Standard electrode potential of some biologically
important half reactions at pH = 7.0, temp. = 25 o C
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