Investigation of Quantitative and More Practical Analysis Methods Based on the Electrochemical Reactions

Electrochemical techniques have been frequently used in the field of chemical analyses including pretreatment, qualitative estimation and quantification. Principal physical quantities obtained by electrochemical measurements are potential (or voltage), current and resistance. Each quantity provides the indication of a driving force, a rate and a barrier against electrochemical reactions. Figure 1 shows a schematic representation of a basic electrochemical reaction. As seen in this figure, oxidant (Ox) transferred from a distantly-positioned electrolyte reacts with electron on the electrode, and then converts to reductant (Red). In electrochemical analyses, measurements are carried out focusing especially on the interface between a solution and the electrode.