Thermodynamics of solid-state connected ion-sensitive membrane electrodes: The silver-silver chloride system: Part I. Standard potential EM0 at 25, 50, and 75°C

Standard potentials E_M⁰ at 25, 50 and 75°C of all-solid-state silver-silver chloride ring membrane electrodes (Schott) with pressed-in silver foil have been measured with respect to the Pt, H₂ electrode by means of a cell without transference (see also [1]) applied earlier by Bates and Bower who measured standard potentials E⁰ of corresponding electrodes of the 2nd kind. The data evaluated by the extended Debye-Hückel theory can directly be compared with the reported 2nd kind electrode data. Identical thermodynamic behavior of both electrode types is observed; small differences (<1.5 mV) of standard potentials and their temperature dependence are discussed on the basis of different states of electrode materials orignating from different electrode preparation and are applied to calculate thermodynamic data of membrane electrodes referred to those of electrodes of the 2nd kind. The results and contradictory literature data are discussed. A brief characterization of membrane and 2nd kind electrodes is given.     

An experimental and theoretical method for determination of standard electrode potential for the redox couple diphenyl sulfone/diphenyl sulfide

DFT calculations were performed for diphenyl sulfide and diphenyl sulfone. The electrochemistry of diphenyl sulfide on the gold electrode was investigated by cyclic voltammety and the results show that standard electrode potential for redox couple diphenyl sulfone/diphenyl sulfide is 1.058 V, which is consistent with that of 1.057 calculated at B3LYP/6-31++G(d,p)-IEFPCM level. The front orbit theory and Mulliken charges of molecular explain well on the oxidation of diphenyl sulfide in oxidative desulfurization. According to equilibrium theory the experimental equilibrium constant in the oxidative desulfurization of H₂O₂, is 1.17 × 10⁴⁸, which is consistent with the theoretical equilibrium constant is 2.18 × 10⁴⁸ at B3LYP/6-31++G(d,p)-IEFPCM level.     

Redox potential measurement in natural waters

Summary In spite of the importance of the redox potential (Eh) its experimental measurement in natural environment is still not entirely resolved. In the present work an optimization of the methodology to measure Eh is carried out. The behaviour and storing conditions of the standard solutions, the kind of reference electrode, as well as the kind of the working electrode are studied for calibration. From the results it is concluded that Eh measurements must be done in situ. As electrodes, Ag/AgCl electrode with sleeve-type junction and laminar Pt electrode, previously calibrated with Zöbell solution, should be used. A special cell that allows to carry out the measurement of Eh in ground water samples without variations in its composition and characteristics is proposed for in situ measurements. The proposed procedure is applied to Eh measurement of ground water of different chemical composition. Finally, the experimental values of Eh measured in these samples are applied to WATEQF program to know the distribution of the chemical species in these systems. Eh are mainly determined by the reduced forms Fe²⁺ and FeCO₃ and the oxidized forms amorphous Fe(OH)₃ and Fe₂O₃ (maghemite).     

The electrode responses of a tungsten bronze electrode differ in potentiometry and voltammetry and give access to the individual contributions of electron and proton transfer

A tungsten wire covered with Na_0.75WO₃ acts in potentiometry as a reversible pH electrode having a pH dependent open-circuit potential E_ocp with nernstian slope. The mid-peak potential E_mp of cyclic voltammograms also depends on pH. At low pH (e.g., pH 2) and slow scan rates (e.g., 2 mV s^–1) the voltammetric response is almost completely reversible. At higher pH and faster scan rates, the voltammetric systems exhibit features of increasing irreversibility. Under the conditions of reversibility, the E_ocp and E_mp differ significantly. E_ocp is determined by the proton transfer at the electrode surface; whereas E_mp is determined by the electron transfer equilibrium tungsten(VI)/tungsten(V) and the proton transfer at the electrode surface. The difference between E_ocp and E_mp provides the individual thermodynamic contributions of electron and proton transfer to the overall pH dependent redox electrode. This is the first time that both contributions can be separated for an insertion electrochemical system (thin surface layer). It is also shown for the first time that the mechanism of an ion-sensitive electrode can differ in potentiometry and voltammetry.     

Voltammetric studies of the activity of an electrode made of a graphite-epoxy composite in redox reactions of ascorbic acid and hydroquinone

The potentials of the anodic peak of ascorbic acid oxidation and the potential differences of anodic and cathodic peaks (ΔE _p) of the hydroquinone/benzoquinone redox system at an electrode made of a graphite-epoxy composite are determined in weakly acidic and neutral supporting electrolytes by direct and cyclic voltammetry. The results obtained are compared with thermodynamic values and with the available values of these parameters at different solid electrodes for the above-mentioned redox systems. The effect of aging of the surface of electrodes made of graphite-epoxy composites on the potentials and peak currents of the anodic oxidation of ascorbic acid are studied. It is demonstrated that the regeneration of the electrode surface by mechanically cutting thin layers is important for reducing the δE _p value of the hydroquinone/benzoquinone redox system down to 28–30 mV in supporting electrolytes with pH 2.0 and 7.0. This value is typical of thermodynamically reversible electrode reactions involving two-electron transfer at 20–25°C.     

Electrochemical investigation of the redox couple Sm(III)/Sm(II) on a tungsten electrode in molten LiF–CaF2–SmF3

This article is focused on the electrochemical investigation (cyclic voltammetry and related studies) of the redox couple Sm(III)/Sm(II) in an eutectic LiF–CaF₂ melt containing SmF₃. The first step of reduction for Sm(III) ions involving one electron exchange in soluble/soluble Sm(III)/Sm(II) system was found on a tungsten electrode. The study of the Sm(II)/Sm(0) electrode reaction was not feasible, due to insufficient electrochemical stability of LiF–CaF₂. The first step was found reversible at temperatures 1,075 and 1,125 K up to polarization rate 1 V/s and at temperature 1,175 K the process was reversible at all sweep rates applied in this study. The diffusion coefficients (D) of Sm(II) and Sm(III) ions were determined by cyclic voltammetry, showing that D decreases when oxidation state increase, while the activation energy of diffusion (E _a) increases. The standard rate constants of charge transfer (k _s) were calculated for the redox couple Sm(III)/Sm(II) at 1,075 and 1,125 K based on the data of cyclic voltammetry.     

Convolution potential sweep voltammetry V. Determination of charge transfer kinetics deviating from the Butler-Volmer behaviour

Convolution potential sweep voltammetry is applied to the analysis of charge transfer kinetics. The possibility of using the method without assuming a priori the validity of a given kinetic law, e.g. the Butler-Volmer law as usually done, is illustrated on the example of the reduction of tert-nitrobutane in acetonitrile and dimethylformamide. It is found that the post-factum experimental kinetics indeed deviate significantly from the Butler-Volmer behavior, involving a dependence of the transfer coefficient α upon the electrode potential. It is shown that the experimental variations of α match the orders of magnitude predicted by the Marcus theory. A procedure is proposed and applied for determining the reversible half-wave potential for redox couples in which one species is not quite stable chemically by combining the cyclic voltammetry and CPSV data.     

Evaluation of surface potential from single crystal electrode potential

The new method of evaluation of the point of zero potential for the metal oxide exhibiting a saddle-like surface potential function Ψ ₀(pH), as obtained by acid base potentiometric titration using Single Crystal Electrode, was proposed. The electrode potential of sapphire single crystal electrode (A crystal plane, $11\bar{2}0$ ) was measured, point of zero potential and surface potentials were evaluated, and the results were analyzed using the Surface Complexation Model. The electroneutrality point corresponding to the point of zero potential was found to be at pH_pzp=7.0. Thermodynamic protonation equilibrium constants for the first and the second step of protonation were obtained as $\lg K_{1}^{\circ} = 12.7$ ; $\lg K_{2}^{\circ} = 1.2$ .     

512—Energetics of the chemical coupling between ATP production and oxygen reduction: Comparison with electrochemical data

The chemiosmotic coupling hypothesis of the mechanism of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylations implies that molecular oxygen is reversibly reduced by four electrons at a time directly to water at potentials near equilibrium values for this redox couple.Since many experimental data show that this is certainly not the case, at least one and probably two ATP per exchanged pair electron must be derived from another kind of coupling mechanism.If one assumes that all intermolecular electron transfers involving more than two electrons at a time and/or any kind of change of covalent topology of relatively heavy atoms are kinetically forbidden, it appears that in fact oxygen must be primarily reduced by the electron-transfer chain to hydrogen peroxide near equilibrium potentials of the O₂(g)|H₂O₂ redox couple. This production of hydrogen peroxide is followed more slowly by its disproportionation.An energetic analysis of the mechanism of this disproportionation, taking into account the proposed kinetic forbidding rule, leads to the conclusion that the production of one or two ATP must be coupled by this catalytic process. Possible coupling enzymes and artificial coupling disproportionation catalysts can be a priori defined by a few functional characteristics.     

A correlation between the half-wave potential and the micelle-solubilization equilibrium of ferrocene in cationic micellar solutions

The reversible half-wave potential of the ferricinium/ferrocene redox couple in aqueous 0.2 M Li₂SO₄, (0.165±0.005) V vs. SCE, is determined directly by cyclic voltammetry of ferrocene, in spite of its poor solubility. The reversible half-wave potentials of this couple in cationic micellar solutions of alkyltrimethylammonium bromide are independent of the ferrocene concentration, showing that the pseudo-phase model or the Poisson distribution is applicable to these micellar solutions. The relation between the half-wave potentials in the water and the micellar solution is formulated on the basis of the micelle-solubilization equilibrium. The solubility data and the above half-wave potential data of ferrocene together offer corroborating evidence for the validity of this relation. This fact means that the voltammetric technique can be applied to a complicated micellar system to yield a clear-cut conclusion, and can be used in conjunction with the solubility measurement to determine the formal standard potential of a substance which is insoluble in water but can be solubilized in micellar solution.     

The structure of binary liquids. The Kirkwood-Buff theory of liquid mixtures,illustrated on the basis of the systems water/methanol,water/ethanol,and cyclohexane/2,3-dimethylbutane,as a link between thermodynamic data and x-ray and neutron scattering results

With the help of the Kirkwood-Buff theory of liquid mixtures it is demonstrated that there is a close relationship between, on the one hand, x-ray and neutron scattering intensities from liquid mixtures and, on the other hand, certain thermodynamic properties of the systems considered. This relationship can be utilized without having to specify the intermolecular interaction potential and without having to perform computer simulation calculations. In the present paper the Kirkwood-Buff theory is applied to liquid water and to the binary systems H₂O/MeOH, H₂O/EtOH, and cyclohexane/2,3-dimethyl-butane. On the basis of these examples it is explained that, from the thermodynamic quantities used, the detailed shape of the various molecular radial distribution functions cannot be established. However, in principle this information could well be obtained from the x-ray and neutron scattering intensities of the liquids that are being studied, provided an acceptable procedure could be found to isolate the different radial distribution functions. In this respect the information extracted from thermodynamic data would be essential since, in the first place, it provides a valuable way of normalization of the scattered intensity, and, in the second place, for multicomponent liquids it puts forward specific conditions to be satisfied by the various radial distribution functions.     

A multilayer model for the study of space distributed redox modified electrodes: Part II. Theory and application of linear potential sweep voltammetry for a simple reaction

The theory of linear potential sweep voltammetry for a simple redox system in the case of a space distributed redox modified electrode (redox polymer electrode, or adsorption of an electroactive substance in several layers) is established on the basis of the model discussed in Part I of this series. When the rate of the reaction of electron exchange inside the coating is rapid, the theory for a monolayer adsorption is directly applicable. When it is slow, the peaks have a particular shape, with a “tailing” of the current; their characteristics are discussed. The theory is applied to the study of the multilayer adsorption of benzo(c)-cinnoline.     

Dynamic reference electrode for investigation of fluoride melts containing beryllium difluoride

Existing designs of reference electrodes for potentiometric measurements in fluoride melts do not meet basic requirements of the long exposure corrosion tests to be performed. A new diaphragm-free three-electrode meter with a nonstationary (dynamic) beryllium reference electrode for the redox potential measurements was developed. Optimum conditions of forming dynamic beryllium reference electrode were determined in the laboratory tests in isothermal cell. The device for redox potential measurement was designed and it was shown that it is highly sensitive to changes redox potential within ±5 mV. Reliability and efficiency of diaphragm-free device with dynamic reference electrode was confirmed in the thermal convection corrosion loop operating more than 1200 h with molten 15LiF-58NaF-27BeF₂ mixture (mol%) at a maximum temperature of about 700 °C.     

2,2’-二氨基苯氧基二硫化物的电极过程动力学研究

利用循环伏安法、线性伏安法及旋转圆盘电极技术，研究了2,2’-二氨基苯氧基二硫化物(DAPOD)在含有0.1 mol•L－1 LiClO4电解质的乙腈/四氢呋喃有机溶液中，铂、金、玻碳及石墨电极上的电化学行为.伏安结果表明DAPOD中的二硫键与硫巯基之间的氧化还原反应属动力学不可逆过程，这种在室温下表现出的电化学反应不可逆性是有机二硫化物普遍存在的不足，必须通过分子内或分子间的电催化来改善其可逆性能.旋转圆盘电极测试结果显示， DAPOD的阴极还原反应级数为0.5，阳极氧化反应级数为1.由此推知DAPOD电还原属两电子转移反应，分两步完成：第一步为平衡的化学反应步骤；第二步为电子转移步骤，属决速步.同时还测定了DAPOD的阴极与阳极传递系数、交换电流、平衡电势及标准速率常数等相关的动力学常数.通过比较铂、金、玻碳及石墨四种不同材料电极对DAPOD的电极过程的影响,发现石墨对DAPOD的还原过程具有电催化作用.     

Raman spectroelectrochemical study of electrode processes at Neutral red- and poly(Neutral red) modified electrodes

The redox dye Neutral red (NR), adsorbed and electropolymerized at a roughened gold electrode, has been studied by Raman spectroscopy at λ_ex of 676.4 nm in an electrochemical cell. Spectral bands have been assigned based on density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The number and position of the bands, as well as their intensity depend on electrode potential, allowing one to discern different redox forms of NR or its polymer. The observed changes in band positions and intensities have been analyzed. Electrooxidation of hydroquinone and ascorbic acid at a gold electrode modified with adsorbed or electropolymerized layer of NR has been studied with in situ Raman spectroelectrochemical technique. During electrooxidation of solution species, NR layer contains both oxidized and reduced forms of this modifier. It has been shown that the relative content of a reduced form of NR at electrode surface increases with increasing concentration of any of oxidizable species used. It has been concluded that anodic oxidation of ascorbic acid or hydroquinone at NR or polyNR modified electrode proceeds within the modifier layer rather than at a modifier/electrolyte interface. In this respect, electrooxidation follows a redox mechanism.     

The standard redox potential of the phenyl radical/anion couple

The voltammogram of aryldiazonium tetrafluoroborates in acetonitrile (ACN), at low concentration, shows a first one-electron wave followed at a more negative potential by a small second wave; this last one corresponds to the reduction of the radical formed at the level of the first wave. Simulation of the voltammogram permits one to determine the standard redox potential of the radical/anion couple Eo(Ph./Ph-) = 0.05 V/SCE and the reduction mechanism of the diazonium cation. An electron transfer concerted with the cleavage of the C-N bond furnishes the aryl radical; this radical undergoes two competitive reactions: reduction at the electrode and H-atom transfer.     

Analysis of a high redox potential heme in tetraheme cytochrome c3 by direct electrochemistry

Cytochrome c₃ from Desulfovibrio vulgaris (Miyazaki F), a redox protein, contains four bis-histidine-coordinated hemes and has lower redox potential than other heme proteins. Direct electrochemical measurements of cytochrome c₃ were carried out using a pyrolytic graphite edge (PGE) electrode. A low redox potential, already measured by redox titration, and a high redox potential (− 245 mV vs. Ag/AgCl) were observed at room temperature. The high redox potential of cytochrome c₃ was similar to that observed for the loss of an axial ligand at heme. To investigate the loss of the histidine ligand, we explored the electrochemistry of four cytochrome c₃ mutants, in which the sixth coordinated histidine was replaced by methionine. The electrochemistry of the cytochrome c₃ mutants indicated that only Heme III undergoes loss of its axial histidine ligand.     

Computational assisted electrochemical studies for 1,4-diazabicyclo[2,2,2]octane determination at multiwalled carbon nanotube paste electrode

A multiwalled carbon nanotube-modified carbon paste electrode (MWCNT-PE) was used for determination of 1,4-diazabicyclo[2,2,2]octane (DABCO or TEDA) in 0.1 M phosphate buffer solutions (pH 10.25). Cyclic voltammetry(CV) and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) techniques were used to investigate the electrocatalytic oxidation of DABCO at the surface of modified electrode. The results shown that the oxidation peak current of DABCO at the surface of MWCNT-PE was 2.40 times larger than that at the bare electrode. The experimental formal redox potential (E°') of DABCO was obtained 986 mV versus SHE (Standard Hydrogen Electrode). Density functional theory (DFT) method at B3LYP/6-311++G** level of theory and a conductor-like Polarizable Continuum Model (CPCM) was used to calculate the E°' values. The highest occupied molecular orbital (E _HOMO), lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (E _LUMO) and some thermodynamic parameters such as Gibbs free energy of DABCO and its oxidation forms were calculated. Both direct and indirect methods were used to calculate the theoretical standard electrode potential for DABCO and the results were found to be in good agreement with the experimental values.     

Statistical theory for hydrogen bonding fluid system of A a D d type (I): The geometrical phase transition

The influence of hydrogen bonds on the physical and chemical properties of hydrogen bonding fluid system of A _a D _d type is investigated from two viewpoints by the principle of statistical mechanics. In detail, we proposed two new ways that can be used to obtain the equilibrium size distribution of the hydrogen bonding clusters, and derived the analytical expression of a relationship between the hydrogen bonding free energy and hydrogen bonding degree. For the nonlinear hydrogen bonding systems, it is shown that the sol-gel phase transition can take place under proper conditions, which is further proven to be a kind of geometrical phase transition rather than a thermodynamic one. Moreover, several problems associated with the geometrical phase transition and liquid-solid phase transition in nonlinear hydrogen bonding systems are discussed.     

On choosing a reference redox system for electrochemical measurements: a cautionary tale

The potential of a quasi-reference electrode can be determined by introducing an internal reference redox system (IRRS) which comprises either the oxidizable or reducible form of a reversible (and, ideally, outer-sphere) redox couple and then observing the cyclic voltammetric responses. The objective is to choose the IRRS so that the cyclic voltammetric response for the simultaneously present electroactive analyte system (ANS) can be observed independently of the IRRS response. We identify three fundamental paradigms describing the relative positioning of the IRRS and ANS on the potential scale, the operative redox components for the IRRS and ANS, and the starting potential (E _start), reversing potential (E _rev), and ending potential (E _end) for the cyclic voltammetric scan as follows: paradigm A, an optimal paradigm which can produce completely independent cyclic voltammetric responses for the IRRS or for ANS; paradigm B, a less-than-optimal paradigm which can produce an independent cyclic voltammetry (CV) response for the ANS or a mixed response for the IRRS with that response on top of the ANS response; paradigm C, a problematic paradigm that can produce an independent CV response for the IRRS or a mixed response for the ANS with that response on top of the IRRS response; and any mixed response produces a thermodynamically favored redox cross-reaction which couples the IRRS and ANS systems and which can complicate the analysis of the ANS and IRRS responses. The conclusion is that paradigm C is to be avoided.