Enzyme or electrode?

Oliver Einsle1

  • 1Lehrstuhl für Biochemie, Institut für Organische Chemie und Biochemie, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany. einsle@biochemie.uni-freiburg.de

Related Concept Videos

Electrodes: Overview01:17

Electrodes: Overview

Electrochemical measurements are conducted in an electrochemical cell composed of various components that control and measure the current and potential. One fundamental component is electrodes, conductive materials that enable electron transfer reactions at their surfaces.
There are two main types of electrodes in electrochemical cells. The first type, known as the working or indicator electrode, has a potential that is sensitive to the analyte's concentration and reacts to changes in the...
Types of Reversible Electrodes01:24

Types of Reversible Electrodes

For electrode reversibility to be maintained, all the reactants and products involved in the half-reaction must be present at the electrode. There are several types of reversible electrodes (half-cells).In metal-metal-ion electrodes, a metal balances electrochemically with a solution of its own ions. Examples are Cu2+|Cu and Zn2+|Zn. Metals that react with the solvent, like group 1 and most group 2 metals, which react with water, and zinc, which reacts with aqueous acidic solutions, cannot be...
Electrodeposition01:08

Electrodeposition

Electrodeposition is a technique used to separate an analyte from interferents by electrochemical processes. Here, the analyte is a metal ion that can be deposited on an electrode immersed in the sample solution. The electrochemical setup consists of an anode and a cathode. When an electric current is applied to the setup, oxidation occurs at the anode. At the cathode, which consists of a large metal surface, metal ions undergo reduction and deposit onto the surface.
Electrodeposition can...
Potentiometry: Membrane Electrodes01:15

Potentiometry: Membrane Electrodes

Membrane electrodes, also known as p-ion electrodes, use membranes that selectively interact with free analyte ions, generating a potential difference across the membrane. The resulting membrane potential, known as the asymmetry potential, is not zero even when analyte concentrations on both sides of the membrane are equal. The membrane's response is typically not selective to a single analyte but proportional to the concentration of all ions in the sample solution capable of interacting at the...
Potentiometry: Types of Electrodes01:19

Potentiometry: Types of Electrodes

Reference electrodes serve as a stable reference point for potentiometric measurements, while indicator and working electrodes react to variations in the composition of a solution.
The Standard Hydrogen Electrode (SHE) is a widely used reference electrode that maintains zero potential across all temperatures. However, its need for a continuous hydrogen gas supply renders it impractical for everyday use.
An alternative to SHE is the Saturated Calomel Electrode (SCE). This electrode features an...
Processes at Electrodes01:30

Processes at Electrodes

The electrode interacts with ions in the electrolyte solution at its interface. The rate of oxidation and reduction depends on the speed at which electrons can transfer through this interface. As ions attach to or leave the electrode surface, the electrode acquires a charge, and an electrical potential forms across the interface, making the process more difficult to reach equilibrium. The charge on the electrode affects the local ion concentrations in the solution, though thermal motion...