potenzialkontrollierte

Potenzialkontrollierte is an attributive German adjective used in technical contexts to describe processes, measurements, or systems in which a specific potential is held constant or regulated by external control. The term is formed from Potenzial (potential) and Kontrolle (control) and is common in fields such as electrochemistry, physics, and electrical engineering. It generally signals that the controlled variable is a potential rather than a current or another quantity.

In electrochemistry, potenzialkontrollierte measurements or experiments are performed with a defined electric potential of a working electrode relative to a reference electrode, typically using a potentiostat. This potentiostatic approach is contrasted with current-controlled (galvanostatic) methods, and the German terminology often uses potenzialkontrollierte Messungen to describe such experiments.

Beyond electrochemistry, the expression appears in physics and physical chemistry to denote situations where an external potential is treated as the controlled variable. For example, in statistical mechanics one may encounter references to potenzialkontrollierte ensembles, where the chemical potential is fixed rather than the particle number. In engineering contexts, potenzialkontrollierte Schaltungen or Verfahren describe systems in which node voltages or electrode potentials are actively regulated.

The phrase is primarily descriptive and contextual; its precise meaning depends on the discipline and the specific setup. Across domains, it emphasizes the external regulation of a potential as the key control parameter, as opposed to controlling other variables such as current or temperature.

See also: Potentiostat, galvanostat, potentiostatic, grand canonical ensemble, electrochemistry.