Analytical and Mechanistic Studies in Electrochemistry

这个项目得到了分析和表面化学计划的支持，继续进行研究，重点是深入了解多电子反应，重点是过程的能量学和动力学。该项目由特拉华大学的丹尼斯·埃文斯博士和他的团队领导，包括几个部分。其中一部分利用某些分子的行为来研究电势反转，即在两个电子的过程中插入或移除第二个电子比移除第一个电子更容易发生的现象。然后使用快速扫描循环伏安法来确定与电位反转相关的结构变化发生的点。该项目的另一部分发展了对电极反应机理的更好的基本理解。这种更好的理解被用来研究和改进酸的电化学生成过程。利用一种新型的电场促进水解，氢氧化制得质酸，并构建了一种钯膜制酸电池并对其进行了测试。这项研究开发的对多电子转移反应的基本了解将有助于证明电化学合成的有效性，这反过来可能导致化学和制药行业中更环保的过程。

This project, which is supported in the Analytical and Surface Chemistry program, continues research that focuses on developing a thorough understanding of multi-electron reactions with emphasis on the energetics and kinetics of the processes. Conducted by Dr. Dennis Evans and his group at the University of Delaware, the project includes several parts. One part uses the behavior of certain molecules to study potential inversion, the phenomenon where the insertion or removal of the second electron in a two electron process occurs more easily than does removal of the first electron. Fast scan cyclic voltammetry is then used to identify the point at which the structural changes associated with potential inversion occurs. Another part of the project develops an improved fundamental understanding of the mechanism of electrode reactions. This improved understanding is used to investigate and improve procedures for the electrochemical generation of acids. Using a novel electric-field promoted hydrolysis, protic acids are produced by oxidation of hydrogen and a palladium membrane-based cell for acid generation is constructed and tested. The fundamental understanding of multi-electron-transfer reactions that this research develops will help demonstrate the efficacy of electrochemical synthesis, which in turn could lead to more environmentally friendly processes in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries.