1. ELECTRODE PROCESSES, THEIR BIOLOGICAL ROLE AND USE IN MEDICINE
Kharkiv National Medical University
Department of
Medical and Bioorganic chemistry
«Medical Chemistry»
Lecture № 7
ELECTRODE PROCESSES, THEIR BIOLOGICAL ROLE AND USE IN MEDICINE

2. PLAN OF LECTURE The biological significance of redox reactions.
Oxidation-Reduction Reactions.
Basics of the theory oxidation-reduction reactions.
Redox processes and periodic system.
Influence of the medium on the stroke of the redox reaction.
Change of oxidants and reductants in the reaction.
Galvanic cells.
Origin of electrode potential.
Electrochemical series.
Nernst equation.
Reduction potentials.
Electrodes of the third type (oxidation-reduction electrodes).
Quinhydrone electrode.
Membrane electrodes.
15. Measuring of pH.
16. Cells for pH measuring.
17. Oxidation-reduction in the organism.

3. OXIDATION-REDUCTION REACTIONS
Oxidant + e- → Product
(Electrons gained; oxidation number decreases)
Oxidation
Reductant → Product + e-
(Electrons lost; oxidation number increases)
Examples of redox reactions:
H2 + Cl2 → 2 HCl
the oxidation reaction: H2 → 2 H+ + 2 e−
the reduction reaction: Cl2 + 2 e− → 2 Cl−

4. CHANGE OF OXIDANTS AND REDUCTANTS IN THE REACTION
1) In an acidic medium the H⁺ ions and OH⁻ form water.
2) In an acidic medium with metal cations (+1, +2, +3) to form salts with acidic residues.
3) Metal ions, which give the water-insoluble base in alkaline and neutral environments, corresponding to provide base (Fe (OH)₃, Cu (OH)₂).
4) The metal ions which give amphoteric hydroxides in alkaline medium is allowed the corresponding salts (Na3[Cr(OH)6], Na2[Pb(OH)4).

5. GALVANIC CELL Zn0→Zn2+ + 2e- 2e- + Cu2+→ Cu0
Galvanic cell – the device in which electrical energy is produced from chemical reactions.
Electrode- is a metal strip at which oxidation or
reduction occurs.
Oxidation takes place at the anode (negative pole):
Zn0→Zn2+ + 2e-
Reduction takes place at the cathode (positive pole):
2e- + Cu2+→ Cu0
Electrons flow from anode to cathode.
Salt bridge is used for neutrality maintaining.
The Daniell Cell

6. GALVANIC CELLS
Chemical cells. The chemical reaction energy turns into the electric energy in such kind of cells.
Daniell cell is an example of the chemical cell. The E.M.F. occurs in the chemical elements due to the different chemical nature of electrodes.

7. GALVANIC CELLS Ag | AgNO3 || AgNO3 | Ag C2 < C1
The concentrating cells. The similar electrodes in such chains are plunged into the solutions of the same electrolytes having different concentrations:
Ag | AgNO3 || AgNO3 | Ag
C2 < C1
The E.M.F. occurs as a result of the concentration leveling between the solutions. The electrode in the solution with a higher ion concentration will serve as a cathode, the ions move from left to right.
The E.M.F. depends on the concentrations ratio of the potential-determining ions and not on the electrodes nature.

8. GALVANIC CELLS The anode reaction is: Sn2+ – 2e– Sn4+
The oxidation-reduction cells are the galvanic cells consisting of two oxidation-reduction electrodes:
The anode reaction is: Sn2+ – 2e– Sn4+
The cathode reaction is: Fe3+ + e–  Fe2+
 The combined reaction, which is a source of E.M.F. in this element, is:
 Sn Fe3+ ↔ Sn Fe2+

9. 7. GALVANIC CELL REPRESENTATION
The anode is written on the left hand side and cathode on the right hand side.
2. The anode of the cell is represented by writing metal first and then the electrolyte (or cation of the electrolyte). The cathode is represented by writing the cation first and then the metal.
3. The salt bridge is indicated by two vertical lines.
Daniell cell: (-)Zn|Zn2+||Cu2+|Cu(+)

10. 9. Reduction potentials The electrode potential depends upon:
The half cells potentials are represented as reduction potentials!
Reduction potential – is the tendency of an electrode to gain electrons or to get reduced.
The electrode potential depends upon:
1. The nature of the metal and its ions
2. Concentration of the ions in the solution
3. Temperature

11. Electro-Motive Force e.m.f. is always positive!
Galvanic cell consists of two half cells.
The electrodes in these half cells have different reduction potentials.
The electrode with a lower reduction potential will lose electrons and electrode having higher potential will gain these electrons.
So, the result of a potential difference is a flow of electrons.
Electromotive force – is the difference between the electrode potentials of the two electrodes constituting a galvanic cell.
e.m.f. is a driving force for the cell reaction The e.m.f. is expressed in volts.
e.m.f. = e(cathode) - e(anode)
e.m.f. is always positive!

12. THE STANDARD HYDROGEN ELECTRODE
Definition: The standard hydrogen electrode is the standard measurement of electrode potential for the thermodynamic scale of redox potentials. The standard is determined by the potential of a platinum electrode in the redox half reaction 2 H+(aq) + 2 e- → H2(g) at 25 °C. The standard hydrogen electrode is often abbreviated SHE.
Also Known As: normal hydrogen electrode or NHE

13. 10. NERNST EQUATION e – electrode potential;
e0 – the standard electrode potential;
n - number of electrons gained or lost in reaction;
C – molar concentration of solution

14. 11. CLASSIFICATION OF ELECTRODES Electrodes of the first type
Electrodes are classified depending on their composition and electrode reaction.
The electrodes of the first type consist of metal strip placed in the solution of its salt.
Scheme: Me/Men+ ;
Electrode reaction: Me – ne-  Men+ .
Electrode potential depends on the concentration of metal ions, and, therefore such an electrode can be used for their determination.
E. g. Cu|Cu2+; Zn|Zn2+

15. 12. ELECTRODES OF THE SECOND TYPE CALOMEL ELECTRODE
These are electrodes consisting of metal covered with a hardly soluble compound of this metal (salt, oxide, hydroxide) and plunged into a solution of the readily soluble compound with the same anion.
Calomel electrode consists of mercury covered with calomel: Hg, Hg2Cl2. This is deepen in the solution of KCl.
Scheme: Hg, Hg2Cl2| KCl
Electrode reaction: Hg2Cl e- → 2Hg Cl-
Electrode potential depends only on the concentration of chloride ions in the solution:
ecal = e° lgCCl-
In the saturated solution of KCl ecal is constant and equals ecal = 0.248V at T = 298K.

16. ELECTRODES OF THE THIRD TYPE (OXIDATION-REDUCTION ELECTRODES)
Red-Ox electrodes consist of metal (platinum or gold) immersed in a solution containing oxidized and reduced forms of the same substance.
Scheme: e.g.
Electrode reaction: OX + ne-→ RED
Electrode potential:

17. MEMBRANE ELECTRODES
Potential of membrane electrodes occurs on the boundary of a thin layer of the electrode material and a solution. The most widespread membrane electrode is a glass electrode.
Scheme: Glass el.|H+
Electrode potential: egl. = e0 – 0.059pH
silver-chloride electrode
ball made of
special electrode glass
buffer solution

18. ION-SELECTIVE ELECTRODES
Their mechanism is similar to the mechanism of the glass electrode. To make such electrodes the wide number of electro-chemically active substances such as liquid and solid ionites, mono and polycrystals, synthetic membrane-active chelates, is used. Depending on the type of the electrode material the ion-selective electrodes can be divided into three groups: solid, liquid and membrane. Today more than 20 ion-selective electrodes destined for the determination of and other ions concentration are created.

19. MEASURING OF pH Reference electrode has a constant potential.
In order to measure pH it needs a galvanic cell consisting
of indicating electrode and a reference electrode.
Reference electrode has a constant potential.
Potential of indicating electrode depends on pH.
Indicating electrodes
Reference electrodes
Hydrogen
Quinhydrone
Antimony
Glass
Calomel
Silver-chloride

20. CELLS FOR PH MEASURING
Cell consisting of hydrogen and reference electrode:
Pt(H2)|H+||KCl|AgCl, Ag
e.m.f. is indicating by voltmeter.
e.m.f. = e(cathode) – e(anode) = (-0.059pH) = = pH
2. Cell consisting of quinhydrone and reference electrode:
Hg, Hg2Cl2|KCl||H+ quin.|Pt
A quinhydrone electrode's potential is more positive than calomel's, so it acts as cathode.
e.m.f. = e(cathode) – e(anode) = equin. – ecal. =
= pH
3. A cell composed of an antimony electrode and a reference electrode. This kind of cell is used for pH measuring in a stomach cavity (Linar probe).
Sb, Sb2O3|H+||KCl|Hg2Cl2,Hg
Glass electrodes are very often used for pH measuring.

21. DIFFUSE POTENTIAL
Diffuse potential – is the potential difference on the borderline of two electrolyte solutions with different concentration or different composition due to different ion mobility.
Diffuse potentials can appear in biological objects in the result of impairment, e. g. cellular membranes. The electrolytes travel from the place of impairment to the intact areas. The damaged tissue is charged negatively when compared with the intact one, it means that diffuse potential of the impairment appears. It equals about 30–40 mV.

22. МЕМBRANE POTENTIAL
Membrane potential is formed on the borderline of two solutions if there is a semi-permeable membrane, which passes cations and captures anions. Therefore, one side of the membrane is charged positively, the other – negatively.
The changes in membrane potential which accompany transmission of nerve impulses or muscular contraction are due to the flow of potassium cations outside the cell and sodium cations inside the cell. This results in potential diminishing, which can be registered using microelecrodes placed inside and outside the cell.

23. REST POTENTIAL
Rest potential – is potential difference measured in the state of physiological rest of the cell.
Rest potential in different cells equals 50–100 mV.
The cause of biopotential appearance is uneven distribution of K+ and Na+ ions. The number of K+ ions in the intracellular fluid is 20–40 times higher than in the extracellular fluid, while Na+ ions concentration is 10–20 times higher in the extracellular one.
The ions of organic acids pass the membrane with difficulty. At rest K+ ions pass from the intracellular fluid to extracellular.
Thus, inner surface of the cell is charged negatively, while external is charged positively.

24. ACTION POTENTIAL
Action potential is explained by increase of cellular membrane permeability for Na+ at the moment of excitation while K+ ions rate remains the same.
In the initial moment of action potential appearance, termed depolarization, rest potential decreases, that is Na+ ion flow into the cell results in reduction of the membrane negative charge on the internal surface and later in recharge.