Double-pulse chronoamperometry using short times for the kinetic study of simple quasi-reversible electrochemical reactions at low overpotentials

Abstract This work presents a simple and fast way to determinate the standard heterogeneous rate constant ( k 0 ) of simple quasi-reversible electrochemical reactions based on the short time double-pulse chronoamperometry at low overpotentials. The value of k 0 was determined for the faradaic reaction involving redox couples of iron complexes on a commercial glassy carbon electrode. The errors involved in this type of analysis were evaluated by finite difference numerical simulations, and accurate determinations of k 0 values have proved to be possible at short times in the case where the charge transfer is considerably hindered in comparison to the mass-transfer of the electroactive species. A very good correspondence was observed between the experimental findings and the theoretical analysis involving the finite difference numerical simulation.