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Chemistry · Glossary

What is Modes of mass transport?

Also known as: migration · convection · supporting electrolyte

Definition 15.10 University Chemistry — Year 3 · Chapter 15 — Electrode Kinetics and Electroanalysis

Species reach an electrode by migration, the motion of ions in the electric field; by diffusion, down concentration gradients; and by convection, the motion of the solution as a whole (stirring, rotation, flow). A supporting electrolyte is an inert salt added in large excess, which carries almost all the current through the solution, so that the electroactive species moves by diffusion and convection only.

Examples

Example 15.3 (The thickness of the double layer)

In water at 298.15 K298.15\,\mathrm{K} (εr=78.4\varepsilon_r = 78.4) with 0.10 mol/L0.10\,\mathrm{mol}/\mathrm{L} of a 1:1 salt (I=100 mol m−3I = 100\,\mathrm{mol}\,\mathrm{m}^{-3}), κ−1=78.4×8.854×10−12×2479/(2×96 4852×100)=0.96 nm\kappa^{-1} = \sqrt{78.4 \times 8.854 \times 10^{-12} \times 2479/(2 \times 96\,485^2 \times 100)} = 0.96\,\mathrm{nm}; at 1.0 mmol/L1.0\,\mathrm{mmol}/\mathrm{L}, ten times more. A supporting electrolyte compresses the diffuse layer to a few molecular diameters.

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