Introduction

Abstract

Electrochemistry is an extremely interdisciplinary area of science closely related to chemistry, physics, materials science, biology, surface science and a host of other fields. It is basically devoted to investigations of structures and dynamics as being present at interfaces between phases containing different types of mobile charged particles. Thus the process of electrochemical production of chlorine proceeding at the surface of a metal electrode in contact with a halide-containing solution in chlorine-alkali electrolysis is a typical case of electrochemistry at work. In the electrode the mobile charges are electrons, which are withdrawn from the chloride anions that are the mobile charged species in the solution phase. The interface established between molten iron and the fairly complicated mixture of molten metal oxides floating on top of the molten metal is another example. The stimulation of nerves and the propagation of information along nerves is another, totally different case. One more different case is the delamination of an organic coating applied to a metal surface for corrosion protection that occurs because of processes occurring at the metal-coating interface in the presence of a thin solution film on top of the coating containing small concentrations of electrolyte salts. In all of the examples just mentioned charged particles and large electric fields at interfaces play a pivotal role in establishing the structure at the interface and in controlling the various processes occurring at the interface. These examples share an additional feature that may possibly complicate their investigation: All interfaces are “buried” between two condensed phases (liquid or solid).