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Electrochemical methods: Fundamentals and applications
Surface Technology, 20 (1983) 91 - 92
91
Book Review
Electrochemical Methods: Fundamentals and Applications by A. J. Bard and L. R. Faulkner; published by Wiley, New York, 1980; xviii + 718 pp. ;price, £33.65 (hard cover), £13.00 (soft cover); ISBN 0-471-05542-5 Modern electrochemistry has been evolving for almost a century, and it is rather difficult to choose a new approach to any of its classical fields. According to classes of substances investigated, electrochemistry can be divided into several main branches as follows: ionic conductivity of liquids and solids; solid state electrochemistry including semiconductors and intercalation p h en o m ena; electrocatalysis and electrochemistry of surfaces; corrosion and electrocrystallization; classical electrochemistry of reactants in solutions in cont act with electrodes. This latter branch of electrochemistry is the subject of this t e x t b o o k . This field of electrochemistry is so firmly bound with the study of mass transport in liquids that the transport rate is generally used as a scaling factor f o r the evaluation of reaction kinetics. The well-known book by Paul Delahay was based on this principle and so also is the present book which offers a general view o f investigations of electrode reactions. A fruitful idea is the parallel with the t h e o r y of dynamic systems which uses terms such as perturbation, transfer function of the system and the response of the system; the apparent equivalence of any transient technique follows immediately from this idea, at least for chemical kinetic problems. However, the behaviours of real solid electrodes and electrocatalysts permit a much less optimistic view. All mechanistic considerations are a mere speculation if based solely on electrochemistry. The book therefore includes a representative selection of both classical and most recent techniques for the detection o f reaction intermediates and for the investigation of changes in the electrode surface and its physical properties, which have been combined successfully with electrochemistry. The reader is also informed about digital data processing on computers and methods such as convolution voltammetry. Fourier transforms and digital simulations are briefly and clearly explained. As is usual in electrochemistry, the complex operat or t r e a t m e n t of impedances has not been accepted fully, nor has the difference between the physically plausible equivalent circuit and the real and imaginary components o f impedance. Better consistency in this respect would result in the use of meth o d s developed in the t h e o r y of electric circuits and in the removal of irrational c o m p o n e n t s such as f r e q u e n c y - d e p e n d e n t resistors with zero phase shift. © Elsevier Sequoia/Printed in The Netherlands
92 Hundreds of references to all chapters are given in the book (both general reviews and original papers) and all chapters are followed by a selection of problems. As a m e m b e r of a non-English speaking nation, the reviewer is not entitled to appraise the accuracy of the language but he does appreciate, however, the excellent readability of the book. The book provides unique assistance for experienced people as well as for students. JIl~I VONDRAK
91
Book Review
Electrochemical Methods: Fundamentals and Applications by A. J. Bard and L. R. Faulkner; published by Wiley, New York, 1980; xviii + 718 pp. ;price, £33.65 (hard cover), £13.00 (soft cover); ISBN 0-471-05542-5 Modern electrochemistry has been evolving for almost a century, and it is rather difficult to choose a new approach to any of its classical fields. According to classes of substances investigated, electrochemistry can be divided into several main branches as follows: ionic conductivity of liquids and solids; solid state electrochemistry including semiconductors and intercalation p h en o m ena; electrocatalysis and electrochemistry of surfaces; corrosion and electrocrystallization; classical electrochemistry of reactants in solutions in cont act with electrodes. This latter branch of electrochemistry is the subject of this t e x t b o o k . This field of electrochemistry is so firmly bound with the study of mass transport in liquids that the transport rate is generally used as a scaling factor f o r the evaluation of reaction kinetics. The well-known book by Paul Delahay was based on this principle and so also is the present book which offers a general view o f investigations of electrode reactions. A fruitful idea is the parallel with the t h e o r y of dynamic systems which uses terms such as perturbation, transfer function of the system and the response of the system; the apparent equivalence of any transient technique follows immediately from this idea, at least for chemical kinetic problems. However, the behaviours of real solid electrodes and electrocatalysts permit a much less optimistic view. All mechanistic considerations are a mere speculation if based solely on electrochemistry. The book therefore includes a representative selection of both classical and most recent techniques for the detection o f reaction intermediates and for the investigation of changes in the electrode surface and its physical properties, which have been combined successfully with electrochemistry. The reader is also informed about digital data processing on computers and methods such as convolution voltammetry. Fourier transforms and digital simulations are briefly and clearly explained. As is usual in electrochemistry, the complex operat or t r e a t m e n t of impedances has not been accepted fully, nor has the difference between the physically plausible equivalent circuit and the real and imaginary components o f impedance. Better consistency in this respect would result in the use of meth o d s developed in the t h e o r y of electric circuits and in the removal of irrational c o m p o n e n t s such as f r e q u e n c y - d e p e n d e n t resistors with zero phase shift. © Elsevier Sequoia/Printed in The Netherlands
92 Hundreds of references to all chapters are given in the book (both general reviews and original papers) and all chapters are followed by a selection of problems. As a m e m b e r of a non-English speaking nation, the reviewer is not entitled to appraise the accuracy of the language but he does appreciate, however, the excellent readability of the book. The book provides unique assistance for experienced people as well as for students. JIl~I VONDRAK