Physical Chemistry 1200-2EN-PCHLE1M
The course comprises:
I. The interface.
- nature of interfaces; microscopic picture.
- surface tension; cohesion and adhesion.
- temperature effect on surface tension
- curved interfaces (Young-Laplace equation); capillarity,
- Kelvin equation, capillary condensation.
- wetting and wetting angle.
- surfactants.
II. Thermodynamics of interface.
- „surface phase” concept
- the Gibbs Model, Guggenheim approach
- state functions of the interface.
- Gibbs-Helmholtz and Gibbs-Duhem relations.
- Gibbs adsorption equation; functional definition of the interface.
III. Insoluble films on the interfaces
- interfacial pressure; equation of state for ideal 2D systems.
- compression/decompression isotherms.
- phase transitions of molecular films
- Miscibility of molecular films at interfaces; thermodynamics of mixing.
IV. Electrical potentials at interfaces.
- equilibrium potentials
- Donnan potential
- electrical double layer: electrocapillary curve, Lippman equation e.d.l. consequences (electrode processes, surface confinement, electrical field), electrokinetic phenomena, applications (on-chip assays, microfluidics, PCR); contact potential difference (CPD)
- non-equilibrium potentials
- irreversible thermodynamics; basic postulates and definitions, entropy flux, Nernst-Planck equation: diffusion, migration, conductivity, membrane potentials
V. Electrochemical kinetics
- overview of electrode processes
- thermodynamics of electrochemical cells
- kinetics of electrode reactions
- transition state theory, Butler-Volmer equation, Tafel plots,
- overpotentials
- transport in the solutions: migration and diffusion
- experimental methods for studies of electrode reactions
VI. Electroactive layers and modified electrodes
- preparation and characterization of electrodes modified with organic, inorganic and hybrid systems
VII. Electrochemistry of nanoparticles
- preparation of nanoparticles (metals, semiconductors, oxides, salts) their properties and applications
Course coordinators
Type of course
Learning outcomes
After the course the student:
- knows the basic terms and how to use them in interfacial phenomena, electrochemical kinetics,
- knows the main relationships in electrochemistry and how to use them,
- knows the basis of fundamental physicochemical processes,
- is able to predict a direction of physicochemical processes after the change of various parameters, like temperature, concentration, potential,
- is able to describe and apply electrochemical methods such as: chronoamperometry, cyclic voltammetry, chronopotentiometry, coulometry, and spectroelectrochemistry
- is able to determine the fundamental physicochemical parameters from experimental data
- is able to interpret experimental data and infer appropriate conclusions.
Assessment criteria
Written exam after the course. To pass the exam, the student has to receive at least 50% of total allocated points
Practical placement
does not concern
Bibliography
1. Zigniew Galus, Teoretyczne podstawy elektroanalizy chemicznej, PWN, Warszawa 1977,
2. Electrochemical Methods: Fundamentals and Applications, Allen J. Bard, Larry R. Faulkner, 2nd ed, Wiley, 2001
3. Electrochemistry: Principles, Methods, and Applications, Christopher M. A. Brett and Ana Maria O. Brett, Oxford Science Publications, 1993