THERMAL MODULATION OF ROTATING-DISK ELECTRODES - FREQUENCY AND TRANSIENT-RESPONSE

A theoretical analysis is presented for the periodic thermal modulation of a rotating disk electrode heated from the back (nonelectrolyte) side with a chopped laser beam. Experimental measurements of the corresponding modulation in open-circuit potentials and mass-transfer limited currents were made as a function of both modulation and disk rotation frequencies and compared with theoretical predictions. The peak-to-peak amplitude of these electrochemical perturbations depends primarily on the temperature at the electrode surface and decreases markedly for increasing values of the ratio of modulation to rotation frequencies.