Course Syllabus

CHEM 518

(3 credits)

Electrochemistry

M, W, F 9:10 – 10:00 a.m. (Fulmer 101)

Fall 202X

 

Instructor:

Jeffrey Bell, PhD

Office:

Fulmer 270A

Office Hours:

Open or by appointment

Email

jeffrey.g.bell@wsu.edu

 

Course Description

 

Execution and interpretation of a variety of interfacial electroanalytical techniques. Recommended preparation: CHEM 425 or equivalent.

 

Course Goals and Student Learning Outcomes

 

This course will provide students with a working knowledge of:

 

  • Thermodynamics and kinetics of electrochemical reactions

 

  • The structure of the electric double layer

 

  • The various modes of mass transport underlying electrochemical measurements

 

  • Electrochemical methods for investigating electron-transfer reactions.

 

This course will also provide students with an introduction to:

  • Various conventional and unconventional applications of electrochemistry

 

Texts and Materials

Recommended Reference Texts:

  • Electrochemical Methods; Bard and Faulkner, 2nd

Important Dates

 

Semester Start Date:                                   Monday, August 19, 2024

Last Day to Add:                                         Sunday, August 25, 2024

Last Day to Change Credit to Audit:             Friday, September 6, 2024

Labor Day                                                   Monday, September 2, 2024

Veteran’s Day                                             Monday, November 11, 2024

Thanksgiving Break                                     Monday, November 25 – Friday November 29

Last Day of Instruction:                                Friday, December 6, 2024        

                 

 

Course Policies and Expectations

Lecture Attendance: Lecture material will be presented via in-person meetings. I will not take attendance in lecture but I STRONGLY ENCOURAGE you to attend every class, be engaged, take notes, and ask questions. Small group activities and polls will periodically occur throughout the course, see below.  

 

Use of Canvas:  I may use Canvas for many things, including making announcements, sending emails, and posting accompanying material for both lectures and any in-class exercises. You should plan to check Canvas regularly. Most importantly, it is your responsibility to ensure you have ready access to the e-mail registered to Canvas under your student ID.

 

Instructor Availability: I am available to meet with students during my office hours or by appointment. With the exception of the times that I teach, unreasonable days/times (such as the weekends or the middle of the night), and some regularly scheduled work-related or personal activities, I will do my best to accommodate your schedule. If you need to contact me by email, use reason and do not expect a response regarding a Monday class when your e-mail was sent at 11:33 pm the Sunday prior. Given the volume of my inbox it could take up to two academic days to respond to your email. If you don’t hear from me in this timeframe, send me a respectful reminder.

 

Exam Review: I will offer brief study guides for each exam. These study guides will include information from both the lectures and text that I feel is important to understand for the exam. NOTE: These are meant as GUIDES for STUDYING and not simply a list of everything on the exam. This means that there may be things on the study guides that are NOT on the exam and things that are on the exam that are NOT on the study guide. To do your very best on exams, you should 1) read the text and/or supplementary material, 2) attend class, 3) pay attention to lecture, 4) take good notes, 5) ask for clarification when needed, 6) study regularly and often (as opposed to cramming right before the exam), 7) complete the homework assignments, as well as 8) complete the study guide. 

 

Lecture Notes: Slides or lecture notes will be provided to you by being posted on Canvas. These will be incomplete and it is your responsibility to add to them by (i) attending lecture, (ii) paying attention and (iii) taking notes.

 

Class Expectations: I expect that you’ll attend every class, participate fully in activities and lecture material, and come prepared by reading any assigned material. You are responsible for the material in the text and that contained in each assignment. Information presented in class may come from the text or additional sources, thus you will be responsible for the material presented in lecture. Slides for lectures will be available on blackboard. These slides, are however incomplete. During lectures they will serve as an outline/template for you to add additional information. Important announcements will be made at the beginning of class, so you should be in class on time. You are responsible for obtaining any missed information. 

 

Grading Elements

Assignments: There will be a total of four (4) assignments related to course content and/or relevant and recently published journal articles. The assignment may be accompanied by an in-class discussion. Due dates and discussion dates will be conveyed in advance. Late submissions will not be accepted.

Term Paper: The term paper should be a critical and recent review of an area in the realm of electrochemical methods and techniques. Additional information regarding content and due date will be conveyed. The term paper will be 20% of your course grade.

In Class Presentation: A seminar style presentation will be given in class on the topic of your term paper. Presentations will begin the second week of November. The Presentation will be 20% of your course grade. Specific details will be provided.

Exams: There will be 2 exams (a midterm and a final) throughout the course of the semester. These exams may consist of a range of multiple-choice and T/F questions along with a series of calculation and short answer questions.

Make-Up Exams: Make-up exams will only be allowed if your absence is excused by the regulations in the WSU Catalog (e.g., university sponsored events, military service, illness, family emergency, etc.). Students needing to take a make-up exam should notify me AS SOON AS POSSIBLE BEFORE THE DAY OF THE EXAM so that we can make arrangements. You will be required to submit a written explanation of your absence and must complete the exam within seven days of your return to class. The make-up exam will consist of different questions than the regularly scheduled exam and may include short answer questions in addition to multiple-choice questions.

 

Academic Difficulty: If you have difficulty understanding the material or if your exam performance is not up to your expectations, make an appointment with me. I will try to help you, and I may be able to offer suggestions to improve your retention of the material. Some suggestions will be offered in class, but I may be able to offer some advice unique to your situation. Please do not wait until the term is halfway over before you seek assistance.

 

Grading Errors: If, on the rare occasion I’ve made a grading error, it is your responsibility to identify it and contact me in a timely manner. Please do not wait until the end of the semester to draw my attention to a possible grading error. To challenge a possible grading error, you must provide me with evidence that it is a grading error. I cannot accept unsubstantiated claims as evidence of a grading error.

Grading

Assignments: 20%                                                                                                      100 points

In Class Presentation: 20%                                                                                          100 points

Term Paper: 20%                                                                                                         100 points

Midterm Exam: 20%                                                                                                    100 points

Final Exam: 20%                                                                                                          100 points

                        100%                                                                                                   500 points

 

Final grades will be determined by the following breakdown (There is no curve in this class):

 

Total Points

Grade

450

A

425

A-

400

B+

375

B

350

B-

325

C+

300

C

275

C-

250

D+

225

D

200

D-

< 200

F

 

 Your grade is based on the amount of learning you have achieved as measured by the points you have earned. Note that grades are not based directly on the amount of time and effort you expend in studying or how many classes you attend, but rather, on how well you perform. Some students feel they deserve a high grade because they work hard or attended every class. However, high grades are not an entitlement due to hard work or attendance alone, but are awarded based on high achievement in the course which includes hard work and attendance. In accordance with the university’s guidelines for grading as stated in the WSU Catalog, I use the following meanings of the main letter grades:

 

  1. Student work demonstrates consistently excellent scholastic performance; thorough comprehension; ability to correlate the material with other ideas, to communicate and to deal effectively with course concepts and new material; reliability in attendance and attention to assignments.
  2. Student work demonstrates superior scholastic performance overall, reliability in attendance, and attention to assignments; may demonstrate excellence but be less consistent than the work of an A student.
  3. Student work demonstrates satisfactory performance overall, as well as reliability in attendance, and attention to assignments.
  4. Student work demonstrates minimal, barely passing performance overall; limited knowledge of subject matter.

F. Student work demonstrates unsatisfactory performance and comprehension or unfulfilled requirements. The grade is failing.

University Policies

 

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: Cheating or plagiarism of any form will not be tolerated. Cheating includes, but is not limited to: copying work or allowing your work to be copied; use of unauthorized material at exams, any communication between students during an exam, and actively looking at another student’s paper during an exam or quiz. All incidents of cheating will be reported to the Office of Student Affairs. Violation of academic integrity will result in a grade of F for the course and may lead to possible dismissal from the University. Definitions and the processes to be used for handling complaints related to academic dishonesty are presented at http://conduct.wsu.edu/AI. Though you have the right to appeal any decision by the instructor, you will not be able to drop or withdraw from the course until the appeals process is finished.

 

WSU Academic Integrity Statement: “As an institution of higher education, Washington State University is committed to principles of truth and academic honesty. All members of the University community share the responsibility for maintaining and supporting these principles. When a student enrolls in Washington State University, the student assumes an obligation to pursue academic endeavors in a manner consistent with the standards of academic integrity adopted by the University. To maintain the academic integrity of the community, the University cannot tolerate acts of academic dishonesty including any forms of cheating, plagiarism, or fabrication. Washington State University reserves the right and the power to discipline or to exclude students who engage in academic dishonesty."

 

STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES: Reasonable accommodations are available for students with documented disabilities or chronic medical or psychological conditions. If you have a disability and need accommodations to fully participate in this class, please visit your campus’ Access Center/Services website to follow published procedures to request accommodations. Students may also contact their campus offices to schedule an appointment with a Disability Specialist. All disability related accommodations are to be approved through the Access Center/Services on your campus. It is a university expectation that students visit with instructors (via email, Zoom, or in person) to discuss logistics within two weeks after they have officially requested their accommodations.
For more information contact a Disability Specialist at: access.center@wsu.edu

 

ACCOMODATION FOR RELIGIOUS OBSERVANCES OR ACTIVITIES: Washington State University reasonably accommodates absences allowing for students to take holidays for reasons of faith or conscience or organized activities conducted under the auspices of a religious denomination, church, or religious organization. Reasonable accommodation requires the student to coordinate with the instructor on scheduling examinations or other activities necessary for course completion. Students requesting accommodation must provide written notification within the first two weeks of the beginning of the course and include specific dates for absences. Approved accommodations for absences will not adversely impact student grades. Absence from classes or examinations for religious reasons does not relieve students from responsibility for any part of the course work required during the period of absence. Students who feel they have been treated unfairly in terms of this accommodation may refer to Academic Regulation 104 – Academic Complaint Procedures.

 

SAFETY INFORMATION: Washington State University is committed to enhancing the safety of the students, faculty, staff, and visitors to the Pullman campus. While this course is entirely virtual, for those who may be on campus for any reason during the semester, is highly recommended that you review the Campus Safety Plan (http://safetyplan.wsu.edu/) and visit the Office of Emergency Management web site (http://oem.wsu.edu/) for a comprehensive listing of university policies, procedures, statistics, and

information related to campus safety, emergency management, and the health and welfare of the campus community. The campus-wide alert system is at http://alert.wsu.edu/. Please sign up for emergency alerts on your account at MyWSU. For more information on this subject, campus safety, and related topics, please view the FBI’s Run, Hide, Fight video and visit the classroom safety page https://provost.wsu.edu/classroom-safety/.

MID-TERM GRADES: During the 2011-2012 school year, the Associated Students of Washington State University (ASWSU – your student government) successfully appealed to the WSU Faculty Senate to institute a policy in which instructors are required to submit mid-term grades for all students, not just Freshmen and transfer students. Here’s the policy:

 

  • Midterm grades will be submitted for students enrolled in undergraduate courses by 5:00 p.m. on the Wednesday of the eighth week of the fall and spring semesters. For courses that are letter graded, midterm grades may reflect the full range of letter grades (A-F) or may use the C or F grade only. The instructor’s syllabus will specify which type of midterm grade will be given to assess progress. For midterm grades, C and F are defined as follows: A C midterm grade is given to any student who is making satisfactory progress. An F midterm grade is given to any student whose progress is not acceptable and who needs to discuss his/her progress with the instructor. The assessment should not be interpreted as a formal grade, but rather as an indication of the student’s progress to date. Midterm grades are advisory and do not appear on the student’s permanent record, the WSU transcript.

 

In this course, I will be calculating letter grades based on the work done up to that point in the semester without dropping any grades.

 

University Syllabus: Students are responsible for reading and understanding all university-wide policies and resources pertaining to all courses (for instance: accommodations, care resources, policies on discrimination or harassment), which can be found in the university syllabus.

 

CHEM 518 Schedule

Fall 202X Topics to be covered

(I reserve the right to modify this list)

  1. Overview of Electrode Processes
  2. Potential and Thermodynamics of Cells
  3. Kinetics of Electrode Processes
  4. Mass Transfer
  5. Potential Step/Sweep Methods
  6. Hydrodynamic Methods
  7. Impedance
  8. Double Layer Structure
  9. Special Topics
    1. Cold Plasma Electrochemistry
    2. Self-Organization
    3. Electrode Modifications
    4. External Perturbations
    5. Bipolar Electrochemistry
    6. Biosensors
    7. Energy Storage and Conversion