Faradaic electrochemistry at microcylinder, band, and tubular band electrodes

Abstract

Current-time relationships of faradaic processes at microcylinder, band, and tubular band electrodes have been evaluated. Microcylinder electrodes were fabricated from platinum wires (5 μm radius) sealed in glass capillaries. Band and tubular electrodes were constructed with platinum sheets (∼ 20 μm width) or thin pieces of graphite (∼ 5 μm width) sealed between insulating mateials. The temporal response of the current at a microcylinder electrode for the reduction of ferricyanide in aqueous potassium chloride solutions is in excellent agreement with that predicted by equations derived for heat flux to a cylinder. An estimation of the magnitude and temporal properties of the measured current at a band electrode can be obtained when a hemicylinder geometry is assumed. The current respone is identical at band and tubular band electrodes even for the smallest tubular radius investigated, 0.54 mm. Cyclic voltammograms at electrodes of all three geometries show significant contributions from radial diffusion at slow scan rates (< 20 mV s −1). The current at a graphite tubular band electrode was found to be independent of flow of solution through the electrode at flow rates up to 3 ml min −1.