electrozi

Electrozi, or electrodes, are conductive components that make electrical contact with non-metallic parts of a circuit or with an electrolyte in electrochemical systems. They convert chemical energy to electrical energy or vice versa by enabling electron transfer at the interface between a conductor and an electrolyte.

In electrochemical cells, electrodes are typically categorized as the working electrode, the counter (auxiliary) electrode, and the reference electrode. The working electrode is where the primary redox reaction occurs; the reference electrode provides a stable potential; the counter electrode completes the circuit.

Materials vary by application. Inert electrodes such as platinum, gold, graphite, and glassy carbon are used where a stable, non-reactive interface is required. Reactive metals like copper or zinc serve as electrodes in traditional cells but can form complexes or dissolve. Electrode surfaces are often engineered to increase area, enhance conductivity, or control interfacing with the electrolyte, through porous coatings, roughening, or nanostructuring.

Applications include energy storage and conversion (batteries, supercapacitors, fuel cells), electroplating and metal finishing, electrolysis for chemical production, and electrochemical sensors (pH, glucose meters, environmental monitoring). In sensing, the electrode’s potential or current response provides information about chemical species in the solution.

Key design considerations include electrode potential, stability under operating conditions, surface area to volume ratio, impedance, and resistance to fouling or corrosion. Safety and environmental considerations focus on material toxicity and the management of byproducts or dissolved metals.

In Romanian, electrozi is the plural form of electrode. In English-language literature the standard term is electrode, while electrozi is found in regional or translated contexts.