Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
During the early development of electrochemistry, researchers used the normal hydrogen electrode as their standard for zero potential. This was convenient because it could actually be constructed by "[immersing] a platinum electrode into a solution of 1 N strong acid and [bubbling] hydrogen gas through the solution at about 1 atm pressure".
Bipolar electrochemistry scheme. In electrochemistry, standard electrode potential, or , is a measure of the reducing power of any element or compound.The IUPAC "Gold Book" defines it as; "the value of the standard emf (electromotive force) of a cell in which molecular hydrogen under standard pressure is oxidized to solvated protons at the left-hand electrode".
The standard hydrogen electrode (SHE), with [ H +] = 1 M works thus at a pH = 0. At pH = 7, when [ H +] = 10 −7 M, the reduction potential of H + differs from zero because it depends on pH. Solving the Nernst equation for the half-reaction of reduction of two protons into hydrogen gas gives: 2 H + + 2 e − ⇌ H 2
The data below tabulates standard electrode potentials (E°), in volts relative to the standard hydrogen electrode (SHE), at: Temperature 298.15 K (25.00 °C; 77.00 °F); Effective concentration (activity) 1 mol/L for each aqueous or amalgamated (mercury-alloyed) species; Unit activity for each solvent and pure solid or liquid species; and
In electrochemistry, electrode potential is the voltage of a galvanic cell built from a standard reference electrode and another electrode to be characterized. [1] By convention, the reference electrode is the standard hydrogen electrode (SHE). It is defined to have a potential of zero volts. It may also be defined as the potential difference ...
where E is a measured potential, E 0 is the standard electrode potential, R is the molar gas constant, T is the thermodynamic temperature, F is the Faraday constant. For H +, the number of electrons transferred is one. The electrode potential is proportional to pH when pH is defined in terms of activity.
For example, hydrogen is oxidized and protons are reduced readily at the platinum surface of a standard hydrogen electrode in aqueous solution, in a Hydrogen Evolution Reaction. Substituting an electrocatalytically inert glassy carbon electrode for the platinum electrode produces irreversible reduction and oxidation peaks with large overpotentials.
Both the oxidation and reduction steps are pH dependent. Figure 1 shows the standard potentials at pH 0 (strongly acidic) as referenced to the normal hydrogen electrode (NHE). 2 half reactions (at pH = 0) Oxidation 2H 2 O → 4H + + 4e − + O 2 E° = +1.23 V vs. NHE Reduction 4H + + 4e − → 2H 2 E° = 0.00 V vs. NHE