ECS will be offering five short courses at the 229th ECS Meeting this year in San Diego.
What are short courses? Taught by academic and industry experts in intimate learning settings, short courses offer students and professionals alike the opportunity to greatly expand their knowledge and technical expertise.
Short Course #2: Fundamentals of Electrochemistry: Basic Theory and Thermodynamic Methods
Jamie Noël, Instructor
This course covers the basic theory and application of electrochemical science. It is targeted toward people with a physical sciences or engineering background who have not been trained as electrochemists, but who want to add electrochemical methods to their repertoire of research approaches. There are many fields in which researchers originally approach their work from another discipline but then discover that it would be advantageous to understand and use some electrochemical methods to complement the work that they are doing. The course begins with a general, basic foundation of electrochemistry and uses it to develop the theory and experimental approaches to electrochemical problems of a thermodynamic nature. It complements a sister course, “Fundamentals of Electrochemistry: Basic Theory and Kinetic Methods”, offered alternately by the same instructor. The two courses have different emphasis, and each is designed to be a stand-alone introduction to electrochemical fundamentals. If both courses are desired, they can be taken in either order.
Course outline: Introduction and overview of electrode processes
Chemical vs. Electrochemical Thermodynamics
– reference electrodes, standard potentials, cell potentials, Nernst equation, electrode-solution interface, and double-layer structure
– ion-selective electrodes, applications in analytical electrochemistry and sensors, aqueous and non-aqueous systems
Chemical Stoichiometry vs. Faraday’s Law
– coulometry, bulk electrolysis
Theoretical Basis for Methods
– surface tension, adsorption and adsorption isotherms, electrocapillarity, potential of zero charge, Lippmann equation
Methodology
– potentiometry, differential capacity, coulometry, cyclic voltammetry, polarography
Electrochemical Instrumentation
– voltmeters, ammeters, potentiostats, galvanostats, design of electrochemical cells
Coupled Characterization Methods (time permitting)
– modified electrodes, spectroelectrochemistry, in-situ neutron scattering, surface analysis, etc.
About the instructor
Dr. Jamie Noël is an electrochemist and corrosion scientist. He obtained his BSc (1987) and MSc (1990) degrees from the University of Guelph under supervision of Dr. Jacek Lipkowski. He then worked on corrosion issues in the nuclear industry while employed by Ontario Hydro Research and later Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd. Concurrent with his work at AECL, he earned his PhD (2000) through the University of Manitoba with David Shoesmith. Dr. Noël joined the University of Western Ontario in London, Canada in 1998 as a research scientist and adjunct professor in the Department of Chemistry. He assists professors David Shoesmith and Clara Wren in training and directing students, carrying out fundamental and applied electrochemistry research projects, and teaching electrochemistry at the graduate level. He uses electrochemical and other surface analytical techniques to study the corrosion of nuclear reactor components and nuclear waste management systems materials, including carbon steel, titanium, zirconium, copper, nickel alloys, cobalt alloys, and the uranium dioxide fuel itself. He continues to refine techniques that combine electrochemical measurements with neutron-based materials science techniques.
Dr. Noël won the Lash Miller Award of the ECS Canada Section in 2003. He is an active participant in public science outreach activities, developing and presenting chemistry demonstrations for potential young scientists from preschool to high school ages. He has authored over 65 journal articles, 45 conference proceedings papers, 2 book chapters, and 15 company reports.
Register by the early-bird deadline, April 29, 2016 and Save $$!
Short course registration closes on May 23, 2016.
