Determination of the Rate Constants of an Irreversible Electrode Reaction by Using Double Potential Step Chronoamperometry

Abstract

Unlike single potential step techniques for which procedures to determine the rate constants of an irreversible electrode reaction are well documents methods to obtain these rate constants by using potential step techniques barely have been described in the literature. In this paper, it has been shown that simple procedures to determine the values of the rate constants for electrode processes with a slow charge-transfer reaction by using double potential step chronoamperometry at plane electrodes can also be applied. In addition, these procedures provide criteria to assessed easily the reversibility of the electrode reaction. Detailed methods of data analysis are also discussed