Development and Use of a Cyclic Voltammetry Simulator To Introduce Undergraduate Students to Electrochemical Simulations

Cyclic voltammetry (CV) is a popular technique for the study of electrochemical mechanisms because the method can provide useful information on the redox couple. The technique involves the application of a potential ramp on an unstirred solution while the current is monitored, and then the ramp is reversed for a return sweep. CV is sometimes introduced in undergraduate chemistry laboratories. The CV waveform is dependent on several processes including charge transfer, diffusion, and coupled homogeneous reactions. Computer simulations are sometimes used to study these effects. An easy-to-use CV simulator was written in Microsoft Excel for the purpose of teaching undergraduate students and to serve as an entryway to more sophisticated electrochemical simulations.