overpotential en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- (US) audio
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *úp Proto-Indo-European *-er Proto-Indo-European *upér Proto-Germanic *uber Old English ofer- Middle English over- English over- Proto-Indo-European *pótis Proto-Italic *potis Proto-Indo-European *-éh₁ti Proto-Indo-European *-yeti Proto-Indo-European *-éh₁yeti Proto-Italic *-ējō Proto-Indo-European *-éh₁tiinflu. Proto-Italic *-ēō Proto-Italic *potēō Proto-Italic *potēnts Latin potēns Proto-Indo-European *-(i)yós Proto-Italic *-ijos Proto-Italic *-ios Old Latin -ios Latin -ius Latin -ia Latin potentia Proto-Indo-European *h₂el- Proto-Indo-European *-is Proto-Indo-European *h₂élisder.? Proto-Italic *-ālis Latin -ālis Late Latin potentialisder. English potential English overpotential From over- + potential.
Meanings
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The difference between the electric potential of an electrode or cell under the passage of a current and the thermodynamic value of the electrode or cell potential in the absence of electrolysis.
One of the factors that limits their development and use is that known anode and cathode electrocatalysts produce useful current densities only at high overpotentials.
1998 June 12, Erik Reddington et al., “Combinatorial Electrochemistry: A Highly Parallel, Optical Screening Method for Discovery of Better Electrocatalysts”, in Science, volume 280, number 5370, →DOI, pages 1735–1737:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| overpotentials | Number=Plur | lexicographic |