E lectrochemistry is part of our daily life: It powers our cell phones, notebook computers and many other electronic devices. It provides the power to start our cars in the morning, it is undesirably present in corrosion, but also needed in metal winning and refining. The list is seemingly endless. Similarly, electrochemical processes, methods, models, and concepts are present in numerous fields of science and technology. Electrochemistry as a subject is an extremely interdisciplinary science, and, being an experimental science, it demands the direct hands-on testing of a model or a theory. This textbook fills the gap for a wide-ranging collection of reproducible experiments suitable for course work at all levels, from high school to university. The careful selection presented here is based on experiments developed and installed as part of laboratory courses for students of chemistry and materials science, as well as other sciences. In addition it contains experiments developed for teachers at the various levels where pupils will encounter electrochemistry for the first time.
Following a brief overview, the book goes on to deal with electrochemistry at equilibrium and with flowing current, while further chapters cover analytical electrochemistry, non-traditional methods, electrochemical energy storage and conversion, as well as technical electrochemistry. Throughout, the author presents the obvious relationship between theory and experiment, while highlighting the practical importance of the experiments in our daily lives. The scope of electrochemistry is not only illustrated by the diversity of methods and concepts, it is also demonstrated by the range of instruments and tools employed. In all the descriptions the emphasis is placed on clear, well-defined, and lucid descriptions, including everything needed for a successful repetition of the experiment, while avoiding unnecessary details. If necessary, further references to textbooks, review articles, and research papers are given. Complementing textbooks on electrochemistry, this is a must for lecturers as well as for students in chemistry and related fields.