Background
The classic reference is Bard and Faulkner's text, Electrochemical Methods: Fundamentals and Applications. If you're looking for a "friendlier" introduction to the field, take a look at Faulkner's chapter titled "Electrochemical Characterization of Chemical Systems" in Volume 3 of Physical Methods in Modern Chemical Analysis (Academic Press, 1983). It is "designed to introduce the principles of electrochemical measurement to scientists who suspect that these approaches might be useful but know little about them." There are many textbooks available on various aspects of electrochemistry; the Journal of Chemical Education has a compilation on their Web site.
On the Web
PDF of the voltammetry chapter (by Samuel Kounaves) from Settle's Handbook of Instrumental Techniques for Analytical Chemistry
Very nice (but large!) PDF on potentiostat design from Banks.
Gamry has a nice set of application notes, including primers on reference electrodes, potentiostat design, and corrosion measurements.
Bioanalytical Systems publishes a journal titled Current Separations. You can search recent issues on the Web for articles of interest, such as "Determination of Trace Metals by Voltammetry", "Redox Properties of Electron Transfer Metalloproteins", and other topics of interest.
EG&G's Application Notes are an excellent source of technical information.
Short article on the use of electrochemistry on the Mars Lander.
Resources on the use of BAS's Digi-Sim for teaching electrochemistry. An alternative is DigiElch. Here's an example of an exercise using DigiSim in the analytical laboratory.
"Slide show" on voltammetry from the University of Akron.
In the Literature
Journal of Chemical Education The Chemical Educator
Cover article in Chemical and Engineering News (February 20, 2006) on neuroelectrochemistry.
A recent Journal of Chemical Education symposium (May 2005, volume 82(5)) contains a number of interesting articles on electrochemistry applied to "chemistry at the nanometer scale", including "Electrochemistry at Nanometer-Scaled Electrodes", "Electrochemical Fabrication of Metallic Quantum Wires", and "Single-Molecule Electronic Measurements with Metal Electrodes".
Holder, Grant "Teaching Students to Use Electrochemistry as a Probe of Molecular Behavior". J. Chem. Educ. 1999 76 1478. Nice description of an overall approach to integrating electrochemistry into the chemistry curriculum.
May, M.A.; Gupta, V.K. "Electrochemistry 'Discovery' Course for Undergraduates" J. Chem. Educ. 199774 824.
Ching, Stanton; Dudek, Ray; Tabet, Elie. "Cyclic Voltammetry with Ultramicroelectrodes". J. Chem. Educ. 1994 71 602.
Ng, Wing Yan. "Conversion of potentials in voltammetry and potentiometry". J. Chem. Educ. 1988 65 727
Ontko, Robin J.; Russell, Raymond N.; Ongren, Paul J. "Microcomputer-controlled cyclic voltammetry (CS)". J. Chem. Educ. 1986 63 325.
Zoski, Cynthia G. "Charging current discrimination in analytical voltammetry". J. Chem. Educ. 1986 63 910.
Gunasingham, H.; Ang, K. P. "Voltammetry as a model for teaching chemical instrumentation." J. Chem. Educ. 1985 62 610.
Evans, Dennis H.; O'Connell, Kathleen M.; Petersen, Ralph A.; Kelly, Michael J. "Cyclic voltammetry (SOA-Electrochemistry)". J. Chem. Educ. 198360 290.
Osteryoung, Janet. "Pulse voltammetry (SOA-Electrochemistry)". J. Chem. Educ. 1983 60 296.
Mabbott, Gary A. "An introduction to cyclic voltammetry." J. Chem. Educ.1983 60 697
Kissinger, Peter T.; Heineman, William R. "Cyclic voltammetry". J. Chem. Educ. 1983 60 697.
Stock, John T. CII "Automated anodic stripping voltammetry (CI)". J. Chem. Educ. 1980 57 A125.
Ellis, William D. "Anodic stripping voltammetry (Chem Inst.)". J. Chem. Educ. 1973 50 A131.
Koryta, Jiri. "Discovery of polarography". J. Chem. Educ. 197249 183.
Burge, David E. "Pulse polarography (Chem. Inst.)". J. Chem. Educ. 197047 A81.
Muller, Otto H. "The development of polarography and polarographic instruments". J. Chem. Educ. 1964 41 320
Analytical Chemistry A-Pages (and Analytical Scene)
The A-pages of Analytical Chemistry are an excellent source of readable introductions to specific electrochemical areas. To some extent, they have been replaced by the new section, Analytical Scene. If you have a Web subscription, the links below will take you directly to the articles.
Lithography-Based Nanoelectrochemistry April 21, 2011
Seeing Big with Scanning Electrochemical Microscopy February 7, 2011
Biological Scanning Electrochemical Microscopy and Its Application to Live Cell Studies January 7, 2011
Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy says "cheese!" September 27, 2010
Bipolar Electrodes: A Useful Tool for Concentration, Separation, and Detection of Analytes in Microelectrochemical Systems September 3, 2010
Experimental methods for quantifying the activity of platinum electrocatalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction June 30, 2010
Electrodes spy serotonin in vivo November 9, 2009
Analytical techniques for characterizing enzymatic biofuel cells November 4, 2009 (with podcast!)
Clay nanoparticles for spectroelectrochemistry January 29, 2009
Redox of individual molecules August 7, 2008
When voltammetry reaches nanoseconds August 1, 2005, volume 77; p. 333A.
Changing the look of voltammetry May 1, 2005; volume 77; p. 186 A
The prospects of clay mineral electrodes June 1, 2004; volume 76; p. 205 A
Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy for better electrochemical measurements November 1, 2003; volume 75; p. 455 A
Psychoanalytical electrochemistry: dopamine and behavior October 1, 2003; volume 75; p. 414 A
Atomic force microscopy probes go electrochemical November 1, 2002; volume 74; p. 576 A
Electrochemistry, endocrine disruptors, and the environment February 1, 2002; volume 74; p. 66 A
Charge Transfer Reactions at the Liquid/Liquid Interface December 1, 2001; volume 73; p. 670 A
Detection in the danger zone August 1, 2001; volume73; p. 410 A
Extreme electrochemistry July 1,2001; volume 73 ; p. 355 A
DNA Hybridization and Damage February 1, 2001; volume 73; p. 75 A
Mixing electrochemistry with microscopy January 1, 2001; volume 73; p. 39 A
Voltammetric and Amperometric Detection without Added Electrolyte December 1, 2000; volume 72; p. 754 A
Sol-Gel and Electrochemistry: Research at the Intersection November 1, 2000; volume 72; p. 702 A
Voltammetry Retrospective May 1, 2000; volume 72; p. 346 A
Voltammetry—Spanning the Kinetic Timescale March 1, 2000; volume 72; p. 198 A
Please send comments, criticisms, and suggestions to Marty St. Clair, Professor of Chemistry, Coe College (mstclair@coe.edu).
Last modified 05/25/2011