Electrochemistry

Electrochemistry studies how electrical energy and chemical reactions affect one another, especially through electron transfer at interfaces and in electrochemical cells.

Redox reaction: A chemical reaction in which electrons are transferred between species, changing their oxidation states. Electron transfer is the shared chemical basis of electrochemical reactions.
Oxidation state: A formal assignment of electron ownership used to track electron redistribution in compounds and reactions. Changes in oxidation state identify the species oxidized and reduced at electrodes.
Lithium-ion battery: A rechargeable battery that stores energy through reversible lithium-ion intercalation at its electrodes. It is a major practical example of reversible electrochemical energy storage.
Galvanic cell: An electrochemical cell that produces electrical energy from a spontaneous redox reaction. It exemplifies chemical change driving current in the external circuit.
Luigi Galvani: An Italian physician whose experiments on frog legs helped launch the study of animal electricity. His observations prompted debate about the source of electrical effects in biological tissue.
Electrode potential: The voltage difference that develops between an electrode and the electrolyte in contact with it. It quantifies an electrode’s tendency to gain or lose electrons.
Electrolyte: A substance that produces mobile ions when dissolved or molten, enabling ionic conduction. Its ions carry charge through the cell while electrons move through the external circuit.
Fuel cell: An electrochemical device that converts the chemical energy of a fuel and oxidant directly into electricity. It generates electrical power from ongoing electrode reactions rather than stored reactants alone.
Electrolytic cell: An electrochemical cell in which an external power source drives a nonspontaneous reaction. It reverses the energy direction found in a galvanic cell.
Alessandro Volta: An Italian physicist who invented the voltaic pile, an early continuous-current battery. His pile demonstrated that contact between dissimilar materials could produce sustained current.

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