CHE 620

THE UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY

DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY

CHE 620 Electrochemical Methods of Analysis

Course Description: An intensive study of the fundamental theories and principles of electrochemistry, and their practical applications for physical and quantitative analytical measurements. Topics will include potentiometric, voltametric, amperometric, and coulometric methods. Lecture, two hours; laboratory, three hours per week. Prereq: CHE 442G, 522 or 548.

Course Information

Lectures: 2 hr, 10 M W. CP-249 (Total of 29 Lecture Periods)
Laboratory: 3 hr, 1-4 T, CP-244, and other times (total of 45 lab hours possible)
Credits: 3 hours
Professor: J. E. O'Reilly.
- Office: CP-241
- Email: oreilly@pop.uky.edu.
- Office Hours: Almost any time you can catch him.

Textbooks:

P. H. Rieger, "Electrochemistry", 2nd Ed. Chapman & Hall, 1994.
P.T. Kissinger and W. R. Heineman, Eds., "Laboratory Techniques in Electroanalytical Chemistry." Marcel Dekker, 1984.
J. Wang, "Analytical Electrochemistry." VCH Publishers, 1994.
The professor will set up a small library of other electrochemical books in his outer office; books may be signed out on a two-day maximum loan.

Tentative Course Outline, CHE 620

                                                             Chapters
                                                 -------------------------------
                                                 Kissinger &                   
            Topic (Lectures, 33)                 Heineman     Plambeck   Rieger 
            -----------------------              -----------  --------  -------- 
            Preliminaries and Prologue (1.5)

     I.     Potentiometry (1)                       1,2        3,7,8       1 
   
    II.     pH (0.5)                                             9           

   III.     Ion-Selective Electrodes (1.5)                      10         1

    IV.     Introduction to Electrode Processes (2)   2        3,5,6       2   

     V.     Conductance (2)                           8          4         3 

    VI.     Kinetics of Electrode Reactions  (2)      2          5         6

   VII.     Diffusion Contolled Electrolysis (1)      2         12         4 

  VIII.     Linear Sweep and Cyclic Voltamm. (4)   3,9,10    14,15,16     4,5  

    IX.     Polarography (2.5)                     3,9,12      14,15       4 

     X.     Inorganic Voltammetry (0.5)                          "         5 

    XI.     Organic Voltammetry (1.5)                17          "         5 

   XII.     E1/2 Correlations (0.5)

  XIII.     Pulse and Differential Pulse              5         16         4
            Polarography (1.5)

   XIV.     Hydrodynamic Voltammetry (1.5)            3         18         4  

    XV.     Bulk Electrolysis -- Controlled           3         12         7
            Potential (1.5)

   XVI.     AC Polarogr. & Faradaic Impedance (2.5)   5         16         6

  XVII.     Chronopotentiometry (1)                   4         17         5

 XVIII.     Macroscale Electrolysis and                        12,13       7 
            Electrosynthesis (1)

   XIX.     Spectroelectrochemistry (1.5)            3,12                  5

Electrochemical Methods Laboratory

The electrochemistry laboratory this semester will consist of five more-or- less organized laboratories. We are still working on the laboratories.

Potentiometry and Ion Selective Electrodes
Basic Voltammetry
Rotating Disc Electrodes*
Pulse Polarographic Methods*
Cyclic Voltammetry*

*May do special project for one instead; +50% on lab report.

Students will generally work in pairs. Select a partner who has a work schedule compatible with yours. In the event of an odd number of students in the course or some other problem, the instructor will arrange something.

Lab groups must work out with the Teaching Assistant, Angela Fultz, a definite set of hours during the week when they will work in the laboratory. The Teaching Assistant cannot be available at any hour of the day or night on a moment's notice. You will need to plan your lab work. In the event you get behind, or wish a few more hours in a week to finish something up, you will have to negotiate this with Ms. Fultz. Each experiment will take approximately 8-12 hours of lab time to complete.

After each laboratory is completed, a formal written report, organized along the lines of a manuscript for a journal article, is required. We will use Analytical Chemistry format. See the "Manuscript Requirements" handed out, as well an the document labeled "WRITING". Although students may end up working in pairs in the laboratory, each person must write his own report completely independently. You may discuss the report, share data, cross-check calculations, and so forth; but you must design and write this report yourself. Note that verbatim duplication of narrative from another source, without careful and explicit use of quotation marks is considered plagiarism (cheating) and will be dealt with severely. Doing such even with quotation marks is poor technical writing anyway, and is strongly discouraged. You are trying to simulate the writing of a journal manuscript, and need to develop the skill of aptly rephrasing/recasting background material, for example.

Because there will be some feedback on the writing of reports, and to avoid procrastination and its ill effects, lab reports will be due on a schedule. Reports must be turned in by 5:00 p.m. no later than:

Early submission is encouraged. Late reports will be penalized at the rate of 15% per week or fraction thereof. The labs need not be done in any particular order. Every effort will be made to grade the reports quickly and returned.

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This page was last updated Nov. 01, 2004.