Concept
Electrochemistry
Electrochemistry drives oxidation or reduction at an electrode, scored by overpotential, current density, faradaic efficiency and what product actually forms.
Water splitting, CO2-to-CO and hydrogen evolution are the undergraduate contact with energy chemistry.
Evidence
What the evidence shows
Drawn from 17 studies in this library. Each finding starts with a plain-language takeaway, then the denser detail. Supports means evidence for a finding; Challenges means evidence against a stated position; Qualifies marks scope with a short note on each study’s contribution. Challenged positions are labeled — they are not findings.
This library holds 17 empirical chemistry papers on electrochemistry with isolated findings, rates or spectra rather than reviews.
Treating NiFe layered double hydroxide with NaBH4 lifts Ni3+/Ni2+ from 0.39 to 1.32 and gives 95.9% faradaic efficiency for O2.
Thousands of nanoscale voltammograms show every ITO patch oxidizes ferrocenedimethanol; only 0.2% is fully reversible, and the old sparse-site model fails.
An etched FeMn–N–C nanozyme boosts peroxidase-like activity 2.03-fold and reports HER2 by electrochemistry and 808 nm photothermal readout.
Axial pyridine plus a polyvinylpyridine film together raise CoPc’s CO2-to-CO rate and faradaic efficiency while suppressing hydrogen evolution.
Open questions
Tensions and limits
Some items are genuine disagreements on the same question. Others mark different assays, populations, or outcomes — limits on how far one study travels — not a forced fight between papers.
Faradaic efficiency and overpotential trade off; a high FE at impractical potential is not a working electrolyser.
Study Role Design N Population Outcome NaBH4 raises Ni3+ and speeds NiFe LDH OER Supports OtherNaBH4 reduction of NiFe LDH to raise Ni3+/Ni2+ and oxygen vacancies for OER Electrocatalysis materials study — no sample N NiFe layered double hydroxide electrocatalysts OER activity and O2 faradaic efficiency after hydride treatment ITO electrodes are active everywhere at 50 nm Supports OtherSECCM nanoscale LSV mapping of ITO with Butler–Volmer kinetic fitting Thousands of landing sites on ITO — surface mapping, not a cohort N Indium tin oxide electrode surfaces Spatial distribution of heterogeneous electron-transfer rate constants
Common misconceptions
100% faradaic efficiency means the catalyst is perfect.
FE only says electrons went to that product — not that the electrode is cheap, stable or scalable.
Exam-style questions
Short-answer questions that ask you to explain or compare, not recall.
What does electrochemistry mean in this chemistry library?
Electrochemistry drives oxidation or reduction at an electrode, scored by overpotential, current density, faradaic efficiency and what product actually forms.
Name one empirical finding from the electrochemistry papers.
Treating NiFe layered double hydroxide with NaBH4 lifts Ni3+/Ni2+ from 0.39 to 1.32 and gives 95.9% faradaic efficiency for O2.
What is a limit of electrochemistry evidence here?
Faradaic efficiency and overpotential trade off; a high FE at impractical potential is not a working electrolyser.
The studies
17 studies in this library bear on Electrochemistry, ordered by citations. The first 8 are shown.
- Ir nanodendrites on ATO for acid OER
TTAB-grown Ir nanodendrites on mesoporous ATO outperform Ir black for oxygen evolution in acid and in a PEM electrolyzer.
- FeMn single-atom nanozyme dual-readout HER2 test
An etched FeMn–N–C nanozyme boosts peroxidase-like activity 2.03-fold and reports HER2 by electrochemistry and 808 nm photothermal readout.
- A copper porphyrin oxidizes water at low overpotential
A molecular Cu(II) porphyrin evolves O2 at 300–440 mV overpotential in neutral phosphate buffer with >93% faradaic efficiency.
- P4VP makes CoPc a selective CO2-to-CO catalyst
Axial pyridine plus a polyvinylpyridine film together raise CoPc’s CO2-to-CO rate and faradaic efficiency while suppressing hydrogen evolution.
- Bismuth oxyhalide films as photoelectrodes
AACVD BiOX films show halide-tuned bandgaps; untreated BiOBr gives about 0.38 mA cm−2 photoanodic current without a sacrificial donor.
- Single silver nanoparticles strip in many shots
SECCM impact transients show 10 nm Ag particles often dissolve in one spike, but larger ones leave, return, and only partly oxidize.
- Ultrathin porous CoP nanosheets drive HER
Phosphidation of Co3O4 yields sub-1.1 nm porous CoP sheets with exposed {200} facets and high HER mass activity.
- Carbon-coated nickel nanoparticles that make CO from CO2
N-doped carbon plus a carbon coat lets metallic Ni nanoparticles reach about 94% CO faradaic efficiency, suppressing hydrogen evolution.
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- Hard vs soft Ni–Fe catalysts for making hydrogen
A matrix of S-bridged Ni–Fe nitrosyl complexes shows how NO ‘softness’ trades catalytic potential against acid strength and TOF in HER.
- NaBH4 raises Ni3+ and speeds NiFe LDH OER
Treating NiFe layered double hydroxide with NaBH4 lifts Ni3+/Ni2+ from 0.39 to 1.32 and gives 95.9% faradaic efficiency for O2.
- Pore diameter flips ORR from kinetic to transport control
Narrower Pt–Ni nanozyme channels raise ORR activity at low overpotential by concentrating protons, but at high overpotential O2 reacts at the pore mouth.
- Pyrite mesocrystals reconstruct into OER catalysts
Oleylamine-grown (NiFe)S2 porous cubes form by cluster aggregation; Fe-doped samples reach η10 < 260 mV after converting to S-doped (oxy)hydroxides.
- ITO electrodes are active everywhere at 50 nm
Thousands of nanoscale voltammograms show every ITO patch oxidizes ferrocenedimethanol; only 0.2% is fully reversible, and the old sparse-site model fails.
- Frustrated Lewis pairs oxidize H2 without metals
A carbon Lewis acid, BArF18, and lutidine cleave H2 and oxidize it at carbon electrodes about 1 V milder, without CO poisoning.
- Stibnite in carbon sheets stores sodium better
Natural Sb2S3 anchored on sulfur-doped carbon sheets delivers much higher reversible sodium-storage capacity and cycle retention than raw stibnite.
- PVP lets SECCM map Pt OER in concentrated KOH
A little polyvinylpyrrolidone stops alkaline SECCM droplets from spreading, enabling single-grain OER maps that rank Pt(110)/(111) above (100) at pH 13.8.
- Pyrolysis-free Fe–PIPhen catalyzes alkaline ORR
An Fe2+ coordination polymer of a nitrogen-rich phenanthroline ligand on carbon reduces O2 near 0.85 V with a four-electron pathway.
Learn alongside
Change log
What changed
Dated edits to this page's evidence: studies added or removed from a claim, claims added or withdrawn, and new explanations tagged here. Rewordings are not listed.
- Concept page published