POWDER MICROELECTRODES

We have shown that powder microelectrodes are a potentially useful technique for electroanalytical chemistry and the study of the electrochemical kinetic and cyclic behavior of various powdery materials. The main merits of this type of electrode are as follows. (1) It is possible to achieve a significantly enhanced electrode surface and homogeneous polarization simultaneously. Improved reversibility, a better developed limiting diffusion current and easier analysis of experimental data should render this type of electrode applicable in many areas of electroanalytical chemistry and electrode kinetics studies. (2) Electrochemical study of powders is easy and rapid. The powder microelectrode is much simpler to prepare than the porous electrode, and the cyclic charge-discharge behavior of electroactive materials can be studied much more rapidly with the powder microelectrode than with the conventional porous electrode method. Results obtained with the porous electrode and with the powder microelectrode are usually in good agreement with each other.