A supporting electrolyte, in
electrochemistry
Electrochemistry is the branch of physical chemistry concerned with the relationship between electrical potential difference, as a measurable and quantitative phenomenon, and identifiable chemical change, with the potential difference as an outc ...
, according to an
IUPAC
The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC ) is an international federation of National Adhering Organizations working for the advancement of the chemical sciences, especially by developing nomenclature and terminology. It is ...
definition,
is an
electrolyte containing
chemical species
A chemical species is a chemical substance or ensemble composed of chemically identical molecular entities that can explore the same set of molecular energy levels on a characteristic or delineated time scale. These energy levels determine the wa ...
that are not electroactive (within the range of
potentials used) and which has an
ionic strength
The ionic strength of a solution is a measure of the concentration of ions in that solution. Ionic compounds, when dissolved in water, dissociate into ions. The total electrolyte concentration in solution will affect important properties such ...
and
conductivity much larger than those due to the electroactive species added to the electrolyte. Supporting electrolyte is also sometimes referred to as ''inert electrolyte'' or ''inactive electrolyte''.
Supporting electrolytes are widely used in electrochemical measurements when control of electrode potentials is required. This is done to increase the conductivity of the solution (to practically eliminate the so-called IR drop), to eliminate the
transport of electroactive species by ion migration in the electric field, to maintain constant ionic strength, to maintain constant
pH, etc.
[Joseph Wang, "Analytical Electrochemistry", 3rd edition, Wiley VCH. 2006, , p. 118.]
References
Electrolytes
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