The working electrode is the
electrode
An electrode is an electrical conductor used to make contact with a nonmetallic part of a circuit (e.g. a semiconductor, an electrolyte, a vacuum or air). Electrodes are essential parts of batteries that can consist of a variety of materials ...
in an electrochemical system on which the reaction of interest is occurring. The working electrode is often used in conjunction with an
auxiliary electrode The auxiliary electrode, often also called the counter electrode, is an electrode used in a three electrode electrochemical cell for voltammetric analysis or other reactions in which an electric current is expected to flow. The auxiliary electro ...
, and a
reference electrode
A reference electrode is an electrode which has a stable and well-known electrode potential. The high stability of the electrode potential is usually reached by employing a redox system with constant (buffered or saturated) concentrations of each ...
in a
three electrode system. Depending on whether the reaction on the electrode is a reduction or an oxidation, the working electrode is called
cathodic or
anodic
An anode is an electrode of a polarized electrical device through which conventional current enters the device. This contrasts with a cathode, an electrode of the device through which conventional current leaves the device. A common mnemonic is ...
, respectively. Common working electrodes can consist of materials ranging from
inert metal
Inert may refer to:
* Chemically inert, not chemically reactive
** Inert gas
** Noble gas, historically called inert gas
* Inert knowledge, information which one can express but not use
* Inert waste, waste which is neither chemically nor biologic ...
s such as
gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile ...
,
silver
Silver is a chemical element with the Symbol (chemistry), symbol Ag (from the Latin ', derived from the Proto-Indo-European wikt:Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/h₂erǵ-, ''h₂erǵ'': "shiny" or "white") and atomic number 47. A soft, whi ...
or
platinum
Platinum is a chemical element with the symbol Pt and atomic number 78. It is a dense, malleable, ductile, highly unreactive, precious, silverish-white transition metal. Its name originates from Spanish , a diminutive of "silver".
Pla ...
, to inert carbon such as
glassy carbon,
boron doped diamond or
pyrolytic carbon
Pyrolytic carbon is a material similar to graphite, but with some covalent bonding between its graphene sheets as a result of imperfections in its production.
Pyrolytic carbon is man-made and is thought not to be found in nature.Ratner, Buddy D. ...
, and
mercury drop and film electrodes.
Chemically modified electrodes are employed for the analysis of both organic and inorganic samples.
Special types
*
Ultramicroelectrode An ultramicroelectrode (UME) is a working electrode used in a voltammetry. The small size of UME give them large diffusion layers and small overall currents. These features allow UME to achieve useful steady-state conditions and very high scan ...
(UME)
*
Rotating disk electrode (RDE)
*
Rotating ring-disk electrode (RRDE)
*
Hanging mercury drop electrode (HMDE)
*
Dropping mercury electrode (DME)
See also
*
Auxiliary electrode The auxiliary electrode, often also called the counter electrode, is an electrode used in a three electrode electrochemical cell for voltammetric analysis or other reactions in which an electric current is expected to flow. The auxiliary electro ...
*
Electrochemical cell
An electrochemical cell is a device capable of either generating electrical energy from chemical reactions or using electrical energy to cause chemical reactions. The electrochemical cells which generate an electric current are called voltaic o ...
*
Electrochemistry
Electrochemistry is the branch of physical chemistry concerned with the relationship between electrical potential difference, as a measurable and quantitative phenomenon, and identifiable chemical change, with the potential difference as an outc ...
*
Electrode potential
In electrochemistry, electrode potential is the electromotive force of a galvanic cell built from a standard reference electrode and another electrode to be characterized. By convention, the reference electrode is the standard hydrogen electrod ...
*
Electrosynthesis
Electrosynthesis in chemistry is the synthesis of chemical compounds in an electrochemical cell. Compared to ordinary redox reaction, electrosynthesis sometimes offers improved selectivity and yields. Electrosynthesis is actively studied as a scie ...
*
Reference electrode
A reference electrode is an electrode which has a stable and well-known electrode potential. The high stability of the electrode potential is usually reached by employing a redox system with constant (buffered or saturated) concentrations of each ...
*
Voltammetry
References
External links
*
Electroanalytical chemistry devices
Electrodes
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