In the context of electroanalytical chemistry, the terms anode, anodic current, and oxidation are closely related.
An anodic current is the flow of electrical charge (usually carried by electrons) into a working electrode from a second phase (usually an electrolyte solution) as a result of the oxidation of one or more species in the second phase.
As an example, consider a platinum working electrode immersed in an acidic solution of iron(II) chloride. If the platinum working electrode is poised at a sufficiently positive potential, any iron(II) cations in the vicinity of the electrode surface will lose an electron and be oxidized to iron(III) cations according to the following half reaction:
In this case, the flow of electrons into the working electrode as a result of the oxidation of the iron(II) cations is an anodic current.
Related Terms: anode, oxidation
Antonyms: cathodic current
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