Old Mother Hubbard by Jane Cabrera

Old Mother Hubbard by Jane Cabrera

Carbon is ubiquitous in electrochemical research and has played an important role in the development of the discipline. Carbon paste and glassy carbon electrodes have been indispensable in electroanalysis as cheap alternatives to noble metals. The development of the carbon fibre microelectrode revolutionised the use of electrochemical measurements in investigating biological function. In recent years the use of carbon in more novel forms (e.g. carbon nanotubes, graphene) has impacted on all areas of fundamental and applied electrochemistry and this is likely to continue into the future. Advanced electrochemical techniques such as scanning electrochemical microscopy, electrochemical AFM and spectroelectrochemistry have moreover increased our understanding of the interfacial properties of traditional carbon electrode materials.

Carbon also plays an important role in technologically applied areas of electrochemistry in energy generation and storage and catalyst support. The use of carbon electrodes thus spans a range of disciplines, requiring input from materials chemists, engineers and physicists as well as those engaged in more traditional aspects of electrochemistry.