Kathodischen

Kathodischen is the German adjective form derived from the noun "Kathode" meaning cathode, the electrode at which reduction, that is the gain of electrons, occurs in an electrochemical cell. In the context of electricity and electrochemistry, the term describes processes that involve the cathode as the site of electron transfer and reduction reactions. The adjective is commonly used in technical German literature to specify cathodic reactions, coatings, or protection methods.

In industrial and research settings, cathodic processes include electroplating or electrorefining, where metal ions are reduced and deposited onto a cathode to produce a metallic coating. Cathodic protection is another widespread application, employed to prevent corrosion of metal structures, such as pipelines or ship hulls, by making them the cathode of an electrochemical cell. Cathodic arc deposition and cathodic arc evaporation are advanced thin‑film deposition techniques that rely on a high‑temperature plasma generated by the cathode to produce nanometer‑scale coatings. Cathodic etching uses the cathode to remove material through localized reduction reactions, often applied in semiconductor processing.

Mathematically, cathodic behavior is described by the Butler–Volmer equation, which models the current density as a function of overpotential at the cathode. The term also appears in discussions of polarization curves, where cathodic regions are distinguished from anodic regions. While cathodes are defined by their reduction function, the adjective "kathodischen" is simply the grammatical form in German used to describe any such cathodic phenomena or components.