Limiting current in a flowing-electrolyte-type droplet cell.
To the limit: Electrolyte flow accelerates the mass-transfer process in a droplet cell (see picture). The limiting current in the cell is expressed as a sum of hydrodynamic and stagnant terms. The current derived from the latter term indicates that convective mass transfer in the cell would be changed dramatically at a significantly small volumetric flow rate. Convective mass transfer in a flowing-electrolyte-type droplet cell (f-DC) is investigated for quantitative analysis of an electrode process and precise electrofabrication of microstructures using this device. The limiting current in the f-DC was expressed theoretically and its practical equation is investigated experimentally by cyclic voltammetry in solutions containing a redox mediator. The limiting-current equation in the f-DC derived experimentally could be expressed as a sum of hydrodynamic and stagnant terms. The current derived from the latter term of the f-DC is ten times larger than that in a conventional stagnant cell, thus indicating that the convective mass transfer in the cell would be changed dramatically at a small volumetric flow rate.
Fushimi
Koji
K
Graduate School of Engineering, Hokkaido University, Kita-13 Jo, Nishi-8 Chome, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Japan. kfushimi@eng.hokudai.ac.jp
Yamamoto
Shunsuke
S
Konno
Hidetaka
H
Habazaki
Hiroki
H