PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY

•     Knowledge and understanding: acquire knowledge of basic electrochemical processes and understand the operation of electrochemical cells; know how the most common batteries work and understand the basics of corrosion processes; acquire the essential background in chemical kinetics needed to understand the fundamentals of electrode kinetics (Butler-Volmer equation and Tafel approximation).

•     Applying knowledge and understanding: apply the acquired knowledge to describe the behaviour of electrochemical cells and to apply kinetic models, both homogeneous and at the electrode, to chemical transformation processes.

•     Making judgements: identify, collect, organise and interpret data relating to the physico-chemical quantities that characterise an electrochemical system, with the ability to describe and schematise its transformations and with critical reasoning skills.

•     Communication skills: present, both in written and oral form and using appropriate scientific language, the concepts acquired during the course.

•     Learning skills: have developed the skills needed to apply, with a high degree of autonomy, the concepts learned to processes and transformations of real systems.

The course consists of lectures (Didattica Erogativa), dedicated to presenting the theoretical foundations of electrochemistry and chemical kinetics, and numerical exercise sessions (Didattica Interattiva), aimed at the practical application of theoretical models to the solution of typical problems and exercises (calculation of cell potentials, application of the Nernst equation, estimation of reaction rates and of electrode kinetic parameters). The numerical exercise sessions foster the active involvement of students in the guided solution of problems, contributing to the achievement of the learning outcomes related to making judgements and to the ability to apply the acquired knowledge.

If the course is delivered in blended or remote mode, appropriate adjustments may be made to the above, in order to ensure consistency with the syllabus.

In order to address the contents of the course and carry out the exercises proposed in class, it is essential that the student has attended all first-year Chemistry, Mathematics and Physics courses and has acquired solid knowledge of these disciplines.

Attendance is strongly recommended. Active participation in lectures and, in particular, in numerical exercise sessions is of particular benefit for acquiring the applied skills required by the course, as it allows the student to directly engage with the solution of problems typical of the topics covered and to receive immediate feedback from the teacher.

Fundamentals of electrochemistry

•     Activity of ions in solution and the Debye-Hückel law

•     Motion of ions in liquids and conductivity of electrolyte solutions

•     Electrochemical cells and half-reactions (e.g. the Daniell cell)

•     Electrochemical series and standard potentials

•     Nernst equation

Applications of electrochemistry

•     Corrosion as a redox process

•     Common batteries and fuel cells

Background in chemical kinetics

•     Reaction rate and reaction order (essential background, preliminary to electrode kinetics)

Electrode kinetics

•     Electrode processes: charge transfer at the electrode/electrolyte interface, overpotential

•     Charge-transfer kinetics: Butler-Volmer equation, exchange current

•     Tafel approximation: high-overpotential regime, Tafel plot and its applications (estimating corrosion rate, battery kinetics)

Numerical exercises

•     Numerical exercises on the topics covered

•     P.W. Atkins, J. de Paula, Chimica Fisica, Zanichelli (chapters on electrochemistry and chemical kinetics).

•     Alternative English-language reference text: P. Atkins, J. de Paula, J. Keeler, Atkins' Physical Chemistry, Oxford University Press (corresponding chapters on Electrochemistry and Chemical kinetics).

•     Supplementary teaching material (lecture notes, worked exercises) will be made available by the teacher on the University's e-learning platform.

The oral interview assesses the level of knowledge acquired by the student on the topics covered during lectures and numerical exercise sessions; it typically consists of two or three questions, which may include solving a short numerical exercise, and lasts on average 20-30 minutes. The student's ability to present theoretical content using appropriate scientific language, to connect different topics of the syllabus, and the critical sense acquired in addressing these topics are also assessed.

The following parameters will be taken into account for the award of the final grade:

•     Fail: the student does not possess the minimum required knowledge of the main contents of the course; the ability to use specific scientific language is poor or absent and the student is not able to autonomously apply the acquired knowledge.

•     Grade 18-22: the student has the minimum knowledge of the main contents, a modest ability to connect and critically analyse the topics covered, and presents the contents sufficiently clearly, although with limited command of language.

•     Grade 23-26: the student has a fair/good knowledge of the contents, is able to connect and critically analyse the topics covered, and presents the contents clearly, with a fair command of language.

•     Grade 27-30 cum laude: the student has an in-depth knowledge of the contents, is able to promptly and correctly connect and critically analyse the topics covered, including highly complex ones, and presents the contents with excellent command of scientific language.

•     What is the significance of the electrochemical series and standard potentials?

•     What is the significance of the Nernst equation?

•     Describe the operation of a fuel cell.

•     What is meant by overpotential at an electrode and what are its main origins?

•     Describe the Butler-Volmer equation and charge-transfer kinetics at the electrode.

•     Describe the Tafel approximation and its application to estimating corrosion rate.

•     Explain the relationship between the Tafel plot and the exchange current.

•     Describe the operation of a galvanic cell (e.g. the Daniell cell).