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Background

  • Page ID
    60784
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    Chronoamperometry (CA) is an electrochemical method in which a step potential is applied and the current, i, is measured as a function of time, t. This i-t response is comprised of two components: the current due to charging the double- layer and the other due to the electron transfer reaction with the electroactive species. Of course, the extent to which both occur simultaneously depends on the initial, Ei, and the final value, Ef, of the potential. The results are most easily interpreted when a planar (flat) electrode is used in a quiet, unstirred solution, and the applied potential is sufficient to reduce or oxidize the electroactive species as fast as it gets to the electrode surface, i.e., at a diffusion-controlled rate. A hardcopy general reference is listed at the end of the experiment.


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