Electrochemistry
Electrochemistry is a branch of chemistry that studies chemical reactions which take place in a solution at the interface of an electron conductor (a metal or a semiconductor) and an ionic conductor (the electrolyte), and which involve electron transfer between the electrode and the electrolyte or species in solution.
If a chemical reaction is driven by an external applied voltage, as in electrolysis, or if a voltage is created by a chemical reaction as in a battery, it is an electrochemical reaction. In contrast, chemical reactions where electrons are transferred between molecules are called oxidation/reduction (redox) reactions. In general, electrochemistry deals with situations where oxidation and reduction reactions are separated in space or time, connected by an external electric circuit to understand each process.
|Contents |
|[hide] |
|1 History |
|1.1 16th to 18th century developments |
|1.2 19th century |
|1.3 The 20th century and recent developments |
|2 Principles |
|2.1 Redox reactions |
|2.2 Oxidation and reduction
If a chemical reaction is driven by an external applied voltage, as in electrolysis, or if a voltage is created by a chemical reaction as in a battery, it is an electrochemical reaction. In contrast, chemical reactions where electrons are transferred between molecules are called oxidation/reduction (redox) reactions. In general, electrochemistry deals with situations where oxidation and reduction reactions are separated in space or time, connected by an external electric circuit to understand each process.
|Contents |
|[hide] |
|1 History |
|1.1 16th to 18th century developments |
|1.2 19th century |
|1.3 The 20th century and recent developments |
|2 Principles |
|2.1 Redox reactions |
|2.2 Oxidation and reduction