Electrochemical investigations using a three electrode system

[Luke149]

Hi, I am trying to understand what's going on in a standard three electrode system such as one used in cyclic voltammetry and the functions of each of the electrodes. I.e What role does the Working, Counter and Reference electrodes play?

The conclusions iv'e come to so far is that working electrode allow's the reaction you are interested into take place and facilitates the transfer of charge. The counter electrode is designed to balance the charge drawn by the working electrode. The reference electrode is a half cell with a known potential and acts as reference to allow the potential of the working electrode to be measured. Do these descriptions make sense and have i missed out any details? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Luke

 

[NateD]

, your descriptions make sense. You have a good general understanding of the roles of each electrode in a three-electrode system. The Working Electrode is the main electrode where the electrochemical reaction takes place. It serves as the site for oxidation or reduction of species in solution, and the transfer of electrons between the electrode and the solution. The Counter Electrode acts as a sink or source of electrons, depending on the direction of current flow. It works to balance out the charge that is drawn by the working electrode.The Reference Electrode is used to measure the potential of the working electrode. It is a half cell with a known potential, and it provides a stable reference point for the measurement.