Simple electrochemical method for deposition and voltammetric inspection of silver particles at the liquid-liquid interface of a thin-film electrode

A novel experimental methodology for depositing and voltammetric study of Ag nanoparticles at the water-nitrobenzene (W-NB) interface is proposed by means of thin-film electrodes. The electrode assembly consists of a graphite electrode modified with a thin NB film containing decamethylferrocene (DMFC) as a redox probe. In contact with an aqueous electrolyte containing Ag(+) ions, a heterogeneous electron-transfer reaction between DMFC((NB)) and Ag(+)((W)) takes place to form DMFC(+)((NB)) and Ag deposit at the W-NB interface. Based on this interfacial reaction, two different deposition strategies have been applied. In the uncontrolled potential deposition protocol, the electrode is immersed into an AgNO(3) aqueous solution for a certain period under open circuit conditions. Following the deposition step, the Ag-modified thin-film electrode is transferred into an aqueous electrolyte free of Ag(+) ions and voltammetrically inspected. In the second protocol the deposition was carried out under controlled potential conditions, i.e., in an aqueous electrolyte solution containing Ag(+) ions by permanent cycling of the electrode potential. In this procedure, DMFC((NB)) is electrochemically regenerated at the electrode surface, hence enabling continuation and voltammetric control of the Ag deposition. Hence, the overall electrochemical process can be regarded as an electrochemical reduction of Ag(+)((W)) at the W-NB interface, where the redox couple DMFC(+)/DMFC acts as a mediator for shuttling electrons from the electrode to the W-NB interface. Ag-particles deposited at the W-NB interface affect the ion transfer across the interface, which provides the basis for voltammetric inspection of the metal deposit at the liquid-liquid interface with thin-film electrodes. Voltammetric properties of thin-film electrodes are particularly sensitive to the deposition procedure, reflecting differences in the properties of the Ag deposit. Moreover, this methodology is particularly suited to inspect catalytic activities of metal particles deposited at the liquid-liquid interface toward heterogeneous electron-transfer reactions occurring at the at the liquid-liquid interface.     

The electrocapillary effect at an electrode modified with an insoluble redox-active self-assembled monolayer

The interface between an electrolyte solution and a metal electrode coated with an oxidatively adsorbed, redox-active monolayer of long-chain thiols has been examined from a thermodynamic point of view. The electrode potential is assumed to vary within the region where no reductive desorption of the thiol occurs, so that the interface may formally be regarded as ideally polarizable. The analysis leads to an expression describing the potential dependence of interfacial tension in terms of the charge density on the metal, salt concentration, dielectric properties of the organic film, and the redox properties of the active terminal groups, which vary with the (average) distance from the electrode surface. This result generalizes the classical Lippmann equation to modified electrodes of the type considered.     

The role of the electrical double layer and ion pairing on the electrochemical oxidation of hexachloroiridate(III) at Pt electrodes of nanometer dimensions

The steady-state voltammetric oxidation of hexachloroiridate(III), IrCl6(3-) (1-5 mM), in the presence and absence of an excess supporting electrolyte was investigated at disk- and hemispherical-shaped Pt electrodes with radii ranging from 48 nm to 12.5 microm. Thermodynamic, kinetic, and transport parameters that define the shape and magnitude of the voltammetric wave exhibit a complex dependence on whether a supporting electrolyte is present in the solution. First, the half-wave potential, E1/2, for oxidation of IrCl6(3-) shifts to more positive potentials in the presence of a supporting electrolyte, a consequence of the relative difference in the strength of ion pairing of IrCl6(3-) and IrCl6(2-) by the supporting electrolyte cation. E1/2 increases in the order no electrolyte < n-tetrabutylammonium < Na+ approximately K+ approximately Ca2+, but is independent of the supporting electrolyte anion (Cl-, NO3-, PF6-). Second, the heterogeneous electron-transfer rate constant for oxidation of IrCl6(3-) increases by approximately an order of magnitude in the presence of a supporting electrolyte. Third, in the absence of electrolyte, mass transport limited currents deviate significantly from predicted values based on the Nernst-Planck equation, but only when the electrode radius is smaller than ca. 1 microm. The latter two effects (Frumkin and dynamic diffuse layer effects) result from the dependence of interfacial electrical fields and, thus, the rates of electron-transfer and ion migration, on the supporting electrolyte concentration. We also demonstrate that the theoretical shape of the voltammetric response for oxidation or reduction of a highly charged redox species (e.g., IrCl6(3-)) is essentially independent of whether a supporting electrolyte is present in the solution. This finding can greatly simplify the analysis of heterogeneous electron-transfer rates using steady-state voltammetry in low ionic strength solutions.     

Potential shifts at electrodes coated with ion-exchange polymeric films

Voltammetry at electrodes modified with ion-exchange polymers, named "ion exchange voltammetry", has been recently developed for characterizing and determining quantitatively ionic electroactive analytes preconcentrated at the electrode surface. Like for other voltammetric techniques, characterization is based on the position of the response on the potential scale, but an appreciable difference is frequently observed between the formal half-wave potential for redox couples incorporated within ion-exchange polymeric films and those for the same redox couples in solution as measured at bare electrodes. Such a difference has been rationalized here by a generalized equation, inferred from a suitable elaboration of the Nernst equation, whose validity has been tested by a thorough investigation performed at glassy carbon electrodes modified with either cationic (Nafion) or anionic (Tosflex) polymeric films. With this purpose, the effect of both charge and concentration of the analyte and of the loading counterion, this last introduced as the cation or anion of the supporting electrolyte, of the ion-exchange selectivity coefficients of the redox partners and of their stoichiometric coefficients, as well as of the number of electrons involved in the charge transfer has been evaluated. The results obtained agree quite well with theoretical expectations and indicate that the potential shifts found are mainly conditioned by both charge and concentration of the counterion from the supporting electrolyte and by the ratio of the ion-exchange equilibrium constants for the two redox partners involved. Other parameters considered have no influence on the potential shift or lead to negligible effects, provided that the quantities of the redox partners incorporated within the ion-exchange coating represents less than 5% of the film capacity. Again in agreement with theoretical expectations, positive shifts are found for increasing supporting electrolyte concentrations when cationic redox species incorporated within cationic films are involved, while the opposite effect is found for anionic redox species incorporated within anionic films.     

Hydrogen Evolution: Electrochemical Pretreatment for Voltammetric Analysis with Gold Electrodes

A pretreatment for gold electrodes is presented in this work. The improvement of the voltammetric responses for gold surfaces is achieved applying an adequate cathodic potential in acidic media which results on vigorous evolution of gas hydrogen at the interface between electrode and electrolyte. The effectiveness of this procedure is evidenced for gold wire electrodes by cyclic voltammetry in several redox systems. The pretreatment is also compared with other activation methods for gold electrodes in electroanalytical and electrochemical terms.     

Ultrasensitive bioelectronic devices based on conducting polymers for electrophysiology studies

Conducting polymer electrodes based on poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene doped with poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) are evaluated as transducers to record extracellular signals in cell populations. The performance of the polymer electrode is compared with a gold electrode. A small-signal impedance analysis shows that in the presence of an electrolyte, the polymer electrode establishes for frequencies below 100 Hz a higher capacitive electrical double layer at the electrode/electrolyte interface. Furthermore, the polymer/electrolyte interfacial resistance is several orders of magnitude lower than the resistance of the gold/electrolyte interface. The polymer low interfacial resistance minimizes the intrinsic thermal noise and increases the system sensitivity. The ultra-sensitivity of the polymer-based transducer system was demonstrated by recording the electrical activity of cancer cells of the nervous system.     

Electrochemical Capacitors

The current literature sources on the electrochemical capacitors, which are divided into the film (dielectric), electrolytic, and supercapacitors, are reviewed. The supercapacitors are in turn subdivided into the double-layer capacitors, which use the EDL recharge on a highly-developed interfacial surface of electrodes; pseudocapacitors, where the charge is stored in a faradaic pseudocapacitance of sufficiently reversible redox reactions and the EDL capacitance; and hybrid capacitors, which employ a variety of electrodes. A macrokinetic theory of operation of double-layer capacitors is considered. Effect of various factors on the properties of electrodes utilized in supercapacitors is analyzed. A novel type of hybrid capacitor, which has a negative electrode of activated carbon cloth and a PbSO₄/PbO₂ positive electrode, is proposed. A theory of capillary equilibrium in hermetically sealed electrochemical capacitors is considered. Specific features of the application of voltammetric and impedance methods to studying electrochemical processes in supercapacitors are revealed. Characteristics of electrochemical capacitors and batteries are compared.     

Electrochemistry of nanopore electrodes in low ionic strength solutions

The steady-state voltammetric behavior of truncated conical nanopore electrodes (20-200 nm orifice radii) has been investigated in low ionic strength solutions. Voltammetric currents at the nanopore electrode reflect both diffusive and migrational fluxes of the redox molecule and, thus, are strongly dependent on the charge of the redox molecule and the relative concentrations of the supporting electrolyte and redox molecule. In acetonitrile solutions, the limiting current for the oxidation of the positively charged ferrocenylmethyltrimethylammonium ion is suppressed at low supporting electrolyte concentrations, while the limiting current for the oxidation of the neutral species ferrocene is unaffected by the ionic strength. The dependence of the limiting current on the relative concentrations of the supporting electrolyte and redox molecule is accurately predicted by theory previously developed for microdisk electrodes. Anomalous values of the voltammetric half-wave potential observed at very small nanopore electrodes (<50 nm radius orifice radii) are ascribed to a boundary potential between the pore interior and bulk solution (i.e., a Donnan-type potential).     

Recent development of non-faradaic potentiometry

Non-faradaic potentiometry has been plagued by a great many fundamental errors and a lack of conceptualization. Of greatest concern is the second Nernst equation hiatus. Potentiometry may be generally classified as faradaic and non-faradaic. The former deals with the redox reactions using the Nernst equation to explain the potential origin. The latter deals with the non-redox reactions using the Boltzmann and modified Boltzmann equations to explain the origin of electrode potential. Redox faradaic potentiometry has been well described in the textbooks. However, non-faradaic potentiometry has been almost completely neglected in the literature. Many well-known electrodes, such as the pH glass electrode, common reference electrodes, and ion selective electrodes (ISE) have been mistakenly interpreted as redox reactions or ion exchange reactions. New theories and experimental results show their mechanisms to be non-faradaic in nature. Furthermore, the reaction mechanisms for ISE have been confused in textbooks with redox reactions and the Nernst equation. The ISE potentials originating from adsorption of ions or charged particles based on surface charge density will be explained using the double and counterion triple layers concept. The new counterion triple layer concept may be applied to the potential development of sensors. The reason for a new concept, theory, or mechanism is to better explain the phenomena. Examples will be given of how our new concept explains the capacitor, counterion triple layer, surface adsorbed layers interactions, and the interface structure. We will also discuss the new sensor development based on the new adsorption concept. For the first time a new type of Ag/AgCl reference electrode for non-faradaic potentiometry will be presented, one without a liquid junction and with a Pt wire instead of a salt bridge. They will help open up a new horizon for electrochemical sensor research and may be used under unusual conditions, such as high temperature and high pressure, stirring, etc.     

Trace Measurements of Mitomycin C Based on Adsorptive Stripping Voltammetry

Abstract

A highly sensitive voltammetric approach for trace measurements of mitomycin C is described. The method is based on controlled adsorptive accumulation of the drug at the hanging mercury drop electrode, followed by voltammetric measurement of the surface species. After five min preconcentration, a detection limit of 2 × 10^?9 M mitomycin C is obtained. The adsorptive stripping response is evaluated with respect to electrolyte, pH, preconcentration time and potential, concentration dependence, possible interferences, and other variables. The relative standard deviation at 1 times; 10^?7 M is 4%. Cyclic voltanmetry is used to characterize the redox and interfacial processes.     

Electrochemical Tracing of Butein Using Carbon Nanoparticles Interfaced Electrode Processed from Biowaste

Nanoparticles of carbon derivatized from pyrolysis of biowaste oil palm leaves were processed as electrochemical transducer material at the interface of glassy carbon electrode. This modified electrode exhibits convincing electron‐transfer property for voltammetric and chronoamperometric quantification of clinically important phytochemical, butein, without the use of external redox mediator and enzyme. A reversible two‐electron transfer redox property observed from butein is distinct at the electrode interface and the current density is found to be superior in phosphate buffered saline electrolyte at pH 7.0. Carbon nanoparticles interfaced electrode system displayed a good stability and sensitivity for butein with a detection limit of 7.6 μM and a dynamic detection concentration ranging from 10 to 100 μM. This bio‐waste translated carbon nanoparticle represent a promising electrode material for various flavonoids detection useful for biological studies.     

Exploration of the electrical double-layer structure: Influence of electrolyte components on the double-layer capacitance and potential of maximum entropy

Understanding the electrical double-layer structure is of paramount importance for designing efficient electrochemical energy conversion systems. Under this aspect, this short review explores the influence of the electrolyte on parameters such as the double-layer capacitance and the potential of maximum entropy. Investigation of those parameters offers a deeper understanding on how the interfacial structure changes near reaction conditions. As a consequence, one can tune the catalyst activity by creating a more favorable environment in the electrolyte. The aim of this short review is to provide the reader with recent studies examining the electrode/electrolyte interface from experimental and theoretical standpoints.     

Influence of nanoporous carbon electrode thickness on the electrochemical characteristics of a nanoporous carbon|tetraethylammonium tetrafluoroborate in acetonitrile solution interface

Electrochemical characteristics for the nanoporous carbon|Et₄NBF₄+acetonitrile interface have been studied by cyclic voltammetry and impedance spectroscopy methods. The influence of the electrolyte concentration and thickness of the nanoporous electrode material on the shape of the cyclic voltammetry and impedance curves has been established and the reasons for these phenomena are discussed. A value of zero charge potential, depending slightly on the structure and concentration of the electrolyte, the region of ideal polarizability and other characteristics have been established. The nanoporous nature of the carbon electrodes introduces a distribution of resistive and capacitive elements, giving rise to complicated electrochemical behaviour. Analysis of the complex plane plots shows that the nanoporous carbon|Et₄NBF₄+acetonitrile electrolyte interface can be simulated by an equivalent circuit, in which two parallel conduction paths in the solid and liquid phases are interconnected by the double-layer capacitance in parallel with the complex admittance of the hindered reaction of the charge transfer or of the partial charge transfer (i.e. adsorption stage limited) process. The values of the characteristic frequency depend on the electrolyte concentration and electrode potential, i.e. on the nature of the ions adsorbed at the surface of the nanoporous carbon electrode. The value of the solid state phase resistance established is independent of the thickness of the electrode material.     

Quasi-reversible voltammetric response of electrodes coated with electroactive monolayer films

Quasi-reversible voltammetric response of the surface-confined redox species is treated, including both ion pairing and double-layer effects. The Smith–White model and the Butler–Volmer formulation are chosen as the electrode|solution interface model and the electrode kinetics, respectively. An algorithm to simulate the voltammogram is derived.     

Influence of Pb(II) concentration and pH of acetate buffer on the potential window of a lead film electrode: an Atomic Force Microscopy Study

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) studies on observations of lead films deposited from the solutions containing an acetate buffer and different concentration of Pb(II) are presented. AFM images show considerable variability in morphology of the deposited lead layer depending on experimental conditions. To investigate effects of the Pb(II) concentration and pH of the supporting electrolyte on the accessible potential window of the lead film electrode (PbFE), voltammetric techniques were used. It was found that the useful potential window of PbFE is affected by the pH and Pb(II) concentration. Additionally, it was found that the distribution and large size of Pb particles on the electrode surface shown by AFM corresponded well to the mass of Pb expected on the glassy carbon support with respect to the voltammetric data. Results reveal that PbFE is an attractive nonmercury metallic electrode suitable for electrochemical detection of metal ions and a lot of organic compounds in a wide potential window. The accessible potential window of the PbFE in an acetate buffer (pH = 5.0) was compared to those obtained at the bismuth film electrode and antimony film electrode.     

Carbon/carbon supercapacitors

Supercapacitors, or electrochemical capacitors, are a power storage system applied for harvesting energy and delivering pulses during short periods of time. The commercially available technology is based on charging an electrical double-layer (EDL), and using high surface area carbon electrodes in an organic electrolyte. This review first presents the state-of-the-art on EDL capacitors, with the objective to better understand their operating principles and to improve their performance. In particular, it is shown that capacitance might be enhanced for carbons having subnanometric pores where ions of the electrolyte are distorted and partly desolvated. Then, strategies for using environment friendly aqueous electrolytes are presented. In this case, the capacitance can be enhanced through pseudo-faradaic contributions involving i) surface functional groups on carbons, ii) hydrogen electrosorption, and iii) redox reactions at the electrode/electrolyte interface. The most promising system is based on the use of aqueous alkali sulfate as electrolyte allowing voltages as high as 2 V to be reached, due to the high overpotential for di-hydrogen evolution at the negative electrode.     

IrO2电极在含有机小分子水溶液中的电化学活性

通过循环伏安（CV）与电化学阻抗谱（EIS）测试研究了Ti基IrO2系活性涂层电极在含甲醇、甲酸及甲醛三种有机小分子的Na2SO4溶液中的电化学活性,其中以电极/溶液界面的双电层电容来表征电极的活性.结果表明,与同浓度H2SO4溶液相比,该电极在Na2SO4溶液中的电化学活性发生明显下降.有机小分子的加入降低了电极的活性表面积.发现有机物能在较宽的电位范围内发生氧化反应,但在该种电极上的电氧化速率较慢.然而,伴随着析氧反应的发生,有机物的氧化也随之加快.     

Ultrathin layer convolution

Ultrathin layers are defined as thin layers which are sufficiently thin that no concentration gradients are established within the layer on the time scale of a voltammetric measurement. Mathematically, ultrathin layers are characterized by ordinary differential equations in time. These equations are simpler to solve than the space and time dependent partial differential equations which describe all other electrode geometries. In this paper, a method is presented which capitalizes on the mathematical simplicity of the ultrathin layer to model any arbitrary, parameterizable electrode geometry. Laplace transforms are used to find an integral relationship between the current response of the modeled geometry and the ultrathin layer current. The integral relationship can be evaluated either analytically or numerically. Any voltammetric perturbation, under either Nernstian or mass transport-controlled conditions, can be modeled. The method is demonstrated for both planar and spherical electrodes. Cyclic voltammetric responses are modeled numerically and potential step responses are modeled analytically. It is also shown that for cyclic voltammetric perturbations, the current-voltage curves for the following systems have the same functional form. That is, the curves are identical within known multiplicative constants. The functionally equivalent responses are for (1) radial diffusion to a point electrode (the polarographic curve), (2) convective transport to a rotating disk, (3) the integral of the ultrathin layer response, and (4) the convolution or semi-integration of the response for linear diffusion to a planar electrode.     

A comparative study of the anion transfer kinetics across a water/nitrobenzene interface by means of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and square-wave voltammetry at thin organic film-modified electrodes

The kinetics of the transfer of a series of hydrophilic monovalent anions across the water/nitrobenzene (W/NB) interface has been studied by means of thin organic film-modified electrodes in combination with electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and square-wave voltammetry. The studied ions are Cl-, Br-, I-, ClO4-, NO3-, SCN-, and CH3COO-. The electrode assembly comprises a graphite electrode (GE) covered with a thin NB film containing a neutral strongly hydrophobic redox probe (decamethylferrocene or lutetium bis(tetra-tert-butylphthalocyaninato)) and an organic supporting electrolyte. The modified electrode is immersed in an aqueous solution containing a supporting electrolyte and transferring ions, and used in a conventional three-electrode configuration. Upon oxidation of the redox probe, the overall electrochemical process proceeds as an electron-ion charge-transfer reaction coupling the electron transfer at the GE/NB interface and compensates ion transfer across the W/NB interface. The rate of the ion transfer across the W/NB interface is the limiting step in the kinetics of the overall coupled electron-ion transfer reaction. Moreover, the transferring ion that is initially present in the aqueous phase only at a concentration lower than the redox probe, controls the mass transfer regime in the overall reaction. A rate equation describing the kinetics of the ion transfer that is valid for the conditions at thin organic film-modified electrodes is derived. Kinetic data measured with two electrochemical techniques are in very good agreement.     

Improvement in the assessment of direct and facilitated ion transfers by electrochemically induced redox transformations of common molecular probes

A new strategy based on a thick organic film modified electrode allowed us, for the first time, to explore the voltammetric processes for a series of hydrophilic ions by electrochemically induced redox transformations of common molecular probes. During the limited time available for voltammetry, this thick organic film ensured that the generated product of the molecular probe, which is within a limited diffusion layer, was kept far away from the aqueous-organic solvent interface; therefore, regardless of the degree of hydrophobicity, the generated product never participates in ion exchange across the interface and the charge neutrality of the organic film (containing an extremely hydrophobic electrolyte) can only be maintained by the injection of ions from the aqueous phase. Taking advantage of this fact, common redox probes, such as ferrocene (Fc) and 7,7,8,8-tetracyanoquinodimethane (TCNQ), which are almost useless for both three-phase electrode (TPE) and thin-layer cyclic voltammetry (TLCV) methods, can induce the transfer of numerous highly hydrophilic anions and cations. Consequently, the majority of their Gibbs transfer energies have been accurately determined for the first time to the best of our knowledge. With this in mind, using TCNQ as a redox probe to induce facilitated cation transfer, a stategy that is more advantageous than traditional methods has been developed. The main advantages are that: (i) voltammetric experiments performed on this system were free from the polarized potential window (ppw) in the aqueous phase and, as a result, this allowed the assessment of weakly assisted ion transfers, which appear at the terminal of the ppw at single polarized interfaces; (ii) without introducing the tetraphenylarsonium-tetraphenylborate (TPAs-TPB) thermodynamic assumption, one can conveniently evaluate both the association constant and the stoichiometric parameter between the ion and its ionophore by comparison of their direct and facilitated ion transfer voltammograms. These encouraging results illustrated the exciting innovation for assessing direct and facilitated ion transfers based on this new thick organic film modified electrode.