CH & ELECT.CHEM(SS)

Chemical and Electro-Chemical is a branch of chemistry that studies chemical reactions which take place in a solution at the interface of an electron conductor (a metal or a semiconductor) and an ionic conductor (the electrolyte), and which involve electron transfer between the electrode and the electrolyte or species in solution.

If a chemical reaction is driven by an external applied voltage, as in electrolysis, or if a voltage is created by a chemical reaction as in a battery, it is an electrochemical reaction. In contrast, chemical reactions where electrons are transferred between molecules are called oxidation/reduction (redox) reactions. In general, electrochemistry deals with situations where oxidation and reduction reactions are separated in space or time, connected by an external electric circuit.

Career Prospects

Electrochemists can work for universities teaching chemistry, analytical chemistry, or inorganic chemistry, while at the same time doing research.

They can also work for private industry such as manufacturing companies, utilities, chemical and petrochemical companies, pharmaceutical companies, and the pulp and paper industries. They work with other chemists and engineers to develop new materials and processes for commercially valuable products. This includes corrosion-resistant alloys for automobiles, aircraft, and military applications.

Electrochemists can also work outside the laboratory, where they can be responsible for the sales and marketing of a range of instruments (eg. fuel cell testing, battery testers, and potentiostats) to various industrial companies.

With further education, electrochemists can move into related professional disciplines such as medicine, law, and engineering.