THE THEORY OF ELECTROCHEMICAL INSTABILITIES

A simple and largely general theory is developed for instabilities occurring in electrochemical reactions with a simple negative Faradaic impedance. For the system under fixed circuit potential (ie across cell plus external resistance), the theory predicts the existence of a universal phase diagram which assembles the system's stationary and oscillatory behavior and their associated bifurcations. Under galvanostatic control, these systems are not expected to give rise to oscillations, only multistability.