Open AccessEvidence for a film theory of hydrogen overpotential from surface tension measurements
Author(s) -
A. L. McAulay,
F. P. Bowden
Publication year - 1926
Publication title -
proceedings of the royal society of london. series a, containing papers of a mathematical and physical character
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2053-9150
pISSN - 0950-1207
DOI - 10.1098/rspa.1926.0060
Subject(s) - overpotential , electrolyte , cathode , hydrogen , condenser (optics) , surface tension , materials science , layer (electronics) , electrode , chemistry , thermodynamics , composite material , optics , physics , electrochemistry , light source , organic chemistry
Whenever hydrogen overpotential occurs at a cathode there must be some transition layer between the electrode surface and the electrolyte, where hydrogen exists in a condition whose free energy is greater than that of the gaseous hydrogen into which it passes. Even if the overpotential is believed to be the result of a resistant film this point of view is still applicable, the additional free energy in this case being the electrical energy between the plates of a condenser. The experiments described below seem to show that this layer has many of the properties of a skin or film, and it will be referred to in the future as a film, without any significance being attached to the term besides that deduced in the course of the discussion.