Effects of convergent diffusion and charge transfer kinetics on the diffusion layer thickness of spherical micro- and nanoelectrodes.

Nuances of the linear diffusion layer approximation are examined for slow charge transfer reactions at (hemi)spherical micro- and nanoelectrodes. This approximation is widely employed in Electrochemistry to evaluate the extent of electrolyte solution perturbed by the electrode process, which is esse...

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Main Authors: Molina, A, Laborda, E, González, J, Compton, R
Format: Journal article
Language:English
Published: 2013
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author Molina, A
Laborda, E
González, J
Compton, R
author_facet Molina, A
Laborda, E
González, J
Compton, R
author_sort Molina, A
collection OXFORD
description Nuances of the linear diffusion layer approximation are examined for slow charge transfer reactions at (hemi)spherical micro- and nanoelectrodes. This approximation is widely employed in Electrochemistry to evaluate the extent of electrolyte solution perturbed by the electrode process, which is essential to the understanding of the effects arising from thin-layer diffusion, convergent diffusion, convection, coupled chemical reactions and the double layer. The concept was well established for fast charge transfer processes at macroelectrodes, but remains unclear under other conditions such that a thorough assessment of its meaning was necessary. In a previous publication [A. Molina, J. González, E. Laborda and R. G. Compton, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2013, 15, 2381-2388] we shed some light on the influence of the reversibility degree. In the present work, the meaning of the diffusion layer thickness is investigated when very small electrodes are employed and so the contribution of convergent diffusion to the mass transport is very important. An analytical expression is given to calculate the linear diffusion layer thickness at (hemi)spherical electrodes and its behaviour is studied for a wide range of conditions of reversibility (from reversible to fully-irreversible processes) and electrode size (from macro- to nano-electrodes). Rigorous analytical solutions are deduced for true concentration profiles, surface concentrations, linear diffusion layer thickness and current densities when a potential pulse is applied at (hemi)spherical electrodes. The expressions for the magnitudes mentioned above are valid for electrodes of any size (including (hemi)spherical nanoelectrodes) and for any degree of reversibility, provided that mass transport occurs exclusively via diffusion. The variation of the above with the electrode size, applied potential and charge transfer kinetics is studied.
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spelling oxford-uuid:68505481-151f-4f19-abc4-2384b692819c2022-03-26T18:44:01ZEffects of convergent diffusion and charge transfer kinetics on the diffusion layer thickness of spherical micro- and nanoelectrodes.Journal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:68505481-151f-4f19-abc4-2384b692819cEnglishSymplectic Elements at Oxford2013Molina, ALaborda, EGonzález, JCompton, RNuances of the linear diffusion layer approximation are examined for slow charge transfer reactions at (hemi)spherical micro- and nanoelectrodes. This approximation is widely employed in Electrochemistry to evaluate the extent of electrolyte solution perturbed by the electrode process, which is essential to the understanding of the effects arising from thin-layer diffusion, convergent diffusion, convection, coupled chemical reactions and the double layer. The concept was well established for fast charge transfer processes at macroelectrodes, but remains unclear under other conditions such that a thorough assessment of its meaning was necessary. In a previous publication [A. Molina, J. González, E. Laborda and R. G. Compton, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2013, 15, 2381-2388] we shed some light on the influence of the reversibility degree. In the present work, the meaning of the diffusion layer thickness is investigated when very small electrodes are employed and so the contribution of convergent diffusion to the mass transport is very important. An analytical expression is given to calculate the linear diffusion layer thickness at (hemi)spherical electrodes and its behaviour is studied for a wide range of conditions of reversibility (from reversible to fully-irreversible processes) and electrode size (from macro- to nano-electrodes). Rigorous analytical solutions are deduced for true concentration profiles, surface concentrations, linear diffusion layer thickness and current densities when a potential pulse is applied at (hemi)spherical electrodes. The expressions for the magnitudes mentioned above are valid for electrodes of any size (including (hemi)spherical nanoelectrodes) and for any degree of reversibility, provided that mass transport occurs exclusively via diffusion. The variation of the above with the electrode size, applied potential and charge transfer kinetics is studied.
spellingShingle Molina, A
Laborda, E
González, J
Compton, R
Effects of convergent diffusion and charge transfer kinetics on the diffusion layer thickness of spherical micro- and nanoelectrodes.
title Effects of convergent diffusion and charge transfer kinetics on the diffusion layer thickness of spherical micro- and nanoelectrodes.
title_full Effects of convergent diffusion and charge transfer kinetics on the diffusion layer thickness of spherical micro- and nanoelectrodes.
title_fullStr Effects of convergent diffusion and charge transfer kinetics on the diffusion layer thickness of spherical micro- and nanoelectrodes.
title_full_unstemmed Effects of convergent diffusion and charge transfer kinetics on the diffusion layer thickness of spherical micro- and nanoelectrodes.
title_short Effects of convergent diffusion and charge transfer kinetics on the diffusion layer thickness of spherical micro- and nanoelectrodes.
title_sort effects of convergent diffusion and charge transfer kinetics on the diffusion layer thickness of spherical micro and nanoelectrodes
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AT gonzalezj effectsofconvergentdiffusionandchargetransferkineticsonthediffusionlayerthicknessofsphericalmicroandnanoelectrodes
AT comptonr effectsofconvergentdiffusionandchargetransferkineticsonthediffusionlayerthicknessofsphericalmicroandnanoelectrodes