Thermal Modulation of Rotating Disk Electrodes: Steady State Response.

Absorption of heat from a laser beam on the back of a thin rotating disk mounted on a hollow tube affords a ready way to modulate the electrode temperature. Steady state response of the electrochemical reaction parameters to such heat input is a function of the surface temperature and thermal gradients developed under convective cooling. This interplay is dependent upon the heat input level, rotation speed, and the physical properties of the electrode and solution. A theoretical analysis of this process and its experimental verification are presented using the two important electrochemical cases of zero current potentiometry and mass transport limited currents.