About Book

Electrochemistry is the branch of physical chemistry that studies the relationship between electricity, as a measurable and quantitative phenomenon, and identifiable chemical change, with either electricity considered an outcome of a particular chemical change or vice versa. These reactions involve electric charges moving between electrodes and an electrolyte. Thus, electrochemistry deals with the interaction between electrical energy and chemical change. Electrochemistry continues to find new applications in wider fields as well as providing scope for greater understanding of its fundamentals. Electrochemical concepts have concurrently spread into very different areas of research and development. The interdisciplinarity of electrochemistry is also apparent in the fabrication and characterization of novel materials for electronic, sensing, and medical applications. This book outlines the processes and applications of electrochemistry in detail. It includes detailed explanation of the various concepts and uses of the subject. It deals with molten salts, curium in molten chlorides, properties of montmorillonite, organic electrochemistry, developments in electrochemistry, adsorption isotherms, membrane electrochemistry, modern electrochemistry and fuel cell modelling. While understanding the long-term perspectives of the topics, the book makes an effort in highlighting their impact as a modern tool for the growth of the discipline. It will serve as a reference to a broad spectrum of readers especially in the fields of chemical engineering, material science and metallurgy.

Preface............................................................................................................v

Chapter 1 Fundamentals of Electrochemistry with Application to Direct Alcohol Fuel Cell Modeling....................................................................1

Abstract...................................................................................................1

1. Introduction............................................................................................2

2. Proton exchange membrane fuel cells..............................................3

3. Performance of PEM fuel cells...........................................................8

4. Thermodynamic principles of PEM fuel cells.................................9

5. Electrochemical principles of PEM fuel cells................................17

6. Modeling the ethanol electro-oxidation reaction..........................26

7. Conclusions..........................................................................................30

Chapter 2 Electrochemistry of Surfactants.............................................................41

Abstract.................................................................................................41

1. Introduction..........................................................................................41

2. Polarographic and voltammetric methods applied to surfactant

solutions................................................................................................42

3. Electrochemical study of the adsorption of surfactants on solid

interfaces...............................................................................................60

Acknowledgements.............................................................................64

Chapter 3 Modern Electrochemistry in Nanobiology and Sensorics..............72

1. Introduction..........................................................................................72

2. Cellular redox environment — monitoring...................................73

3. Exocytosis — monitoring..................................................................81

4. Mechanisms of electron exchange between electrode and

protein...................................................................................................86

5. Nanomaterials and biosensors..........................................................89

6. Summary...............................................................................................97

Acknowledgements.............................................................................97

Chapter 4 Membrane Electrochemistry: Electrochemical Processes in Bilayer

Lipid Membrane ....................................................................................108

1. Introduction........................................................................................108

2. Basic concepts and definitions ......................................................111

3. Model systems of the biological membrane ..............................111

4. Membrane potentials........................................................................115

5. Evidence for electronic processes in Membranes.......................118

6. Electron-conducting BLMs .............................................................118

7. Examples of biological membrane processes, processes in the

cells of excitable tissues .................................................................120

Abbreviations.....................................................................................129

Chapter 5 Developments in Electrochemistry: The Phase-Shift Method

and Correlation Constants for Determining the Electrochemical

Adsorption Isotherms at Noble and Highly Corrosion-Resistant

Metal/Solution Interfaces......................................................................134

1. Introduction........................................................................................134

2. Experimental......................................................................................137

3. Results and discussion.....................................................................138

4. Comparisons......................................................................................153

5. Conclusions........................................................................................157

Acknowledgements...........................................................................158

Chapter 6 Cyclohexane-Based Liquid-Biphasic Systems for Organic

Electrochemistry......................................................................................163

1. Introduction........................................................................................163

2. Cyclohexane-based liquid-biphasic systems................................167

3. Kolbe-coupling assisted by cyclohexane-based liquid-biphasic

systems................................................................................................168

4. Five-membered ring formation assisted by cyclohexane-based

liquidbiphasic systems.....................................................................171

5. Four-membered ring formation assisted by cyclohexane-based

liquid-biphasic systems....................................................................174

6. Continuous flow electrochemical synthesis assisted by

cyclohexanebased liquid-biphasic systems..................................177

7. Conclusion..........................................................................................181

Acknowledgments.............................................................................182

Chapter 7 Application of Electrochemistry for Studying Sorption Properties

of Montmorillonite ................................................................................187

1. Introduction........................................................................................187

2. Experimental part.............................................................................192

3. Procedures..........................................................................................193

4. Results.................................................................................................197

5. Conclusions........................................................................................207

Acknowledgement............................................................................208

Chapter 8 Electrochemistry of Curium in Molten Chlorides..........................213

1. Introduction........................................................................................213

2. Experimental......................................................................................214

3. Results and discussion.....................................................................216

4. Conclusion..........................................................................................231

5. Acknowledgement............................................................................231

Chapter 9 Electrochemistry of Tm(III) and Yb(III) in Molten Salts.............236

1. Introduction........................................................................................236

2. Experimental......................................................................................237

3. Results and discussion ...................................................................240

4. Conclusion..........................................................................................256

Citation......................................................................................................263

Index...........................................................................................................265

About Author

Jane Marques pursued her Ph.D. in Electrochemistry from Technical University of Hobart. Her primary areas of scholarly and research interests lie in the fields of electrolysis, oxidation and redox reactions. She is a Visiting Professor at University College, Dunedin. Marques has numerous papers, articles and book chapters to her credit & also several works have been published in various books as reference material. She has travelled and lectured extensively throughout Europe and United States; primarily for higher education.