Course information

The aim of the course is to study the speed and mechanisms of chemical reactions (homogeneous, heterogeneous, catalytic) and the factors that influence them. Study of the properties of electrolytic solutions, electrochemical interfaces, electrolytic and galvanic cells and kinetic electrode actions. Chemical Kinetics: Scope of Chemical Kinetics. Reaction stoichiometry. Rates of consumption and formation. Extent of reaction. Rate of reaction. Rate equation (rate laws) and rate constant. Order and molecularity of a reaction. Kinetics of elementary reactions: first-order, second-order, third-order and zero-order kinetics. Determination of the order of a reaction: differential, integration, isolation and half-life time method. Kinetics of opposing (reversible), consecutive and parallel reactions. Opposing reactions and relaxation methods. The influence of temperature on rate constant, Arrhenius equation. Collision theory. Transition state theory. Rate equations (rate laws) for composite mechanisms: the rate determining step approximation, the steady state approximation. Lindemann mechanism. Catalysis. Homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis. Diffusion. Adsorption on solid surfaces. Adsorption isotherms. Mechanisms of heterogeneous reactions: Langmuir–Hinshelwood, Langmuir–Rideal. Synthesis of catalysts. Electrochemistry: General Description of Electrochemical Systems: Galvanic and electrolytic cells. Electroneutrality. The Faraday laws. Thermodynamics of electrochemical reactions. Properties of Electrolytic Solutions at Equilibrium: Activity and activity coefficient. Electrochemical potential. Ion-ion interactions. Debye-Huckel theory. Mass Transport in Electrochemical Electric and specific electric conductivity. Molar and equivalent conductivity. Ionic mobility. Transport numbers. Diffusion of particles. The Electrochemical Interface: Description of the electrochemical interface. Electrical properties of the electrochemical interface. Ideally polarized and non-polarized electrodes. The structure of the electrochemical interface: Helmholtz model, Gouy-Chapmann model and Stern model. Thermodynamics of Electrochemical Systems and Galvanic Cells: Thermodynamics of electrochemical systems. The electrode potential. Types of electrodes. Types of galvanic cells and applications. Electrochemical Kinetics: The rate of an electrochemical reaction as a function of the electrode potential. Charge transfer overpotential. Butler – Volmer equation. Limiting forms of Butler-Volmer equation. Multi-step electrode reactions. Diffusion overpotential. Semi-empirical study of electrochemical processes. Kinetics of Nernstian electrochemical processes.