ELECTROLYSIS

OBJECTIVES

 BY THE END OF THIS TOPIC WE WILL BE ABLE TO KNOW ABOUT :

 Electrolytes ,electrodes and electrolysis

 Electrolysis of ionic compounds in molten and aq. State
 Redox reactions
 Applications of electrolysis
Electrolyte

 Compounds which when in molten state or dissolved in water conduct electric

current and decomposed .
 E.g acids alkalies and salts

 These are ionic substances they do not conduct electricity in solid form as their
ions are held together by strong forces.
 They must be dissolved in water or made molten thereby destroying the ionic
lattice .
 We can have weak and strong electrolytes .
Electrodes

 Plate which carries electricity to the liquid.

 Anode: positive electrode. Negative charged ions moves to it are called anions.
 Anions are usually non metals

 Cathode: negative electrode . Positive ions move to it are called cations.

 Cations will either be metals or H+
Electrolysis

 Decomposition of a chemical compound .

 Accompained by a chemical change .
 This allows current to flow through the solution.
 All electrolytes are
ionic this allows
electrons to travel
from cathode to
anode and
conduction of
electricity occurs .

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA

Oxidation and reduction

Anode is positive it has lack Cathode is negative having

of electrons so negative ions excess electrons so it releases
come here to release electrons to positive ions .
electrons and this loss of Positive ions gain electron
electron is called oxidation. and this is called reduction.
Redox reactions :
in oxidation reduction reactions
electrons move between atoms .
We call them anodic oxidation
(loss of electron) and cathodic
reduction (gain of electron).
Condition for electrolysis

 Electrolytes have to be molten or aqueous

 Molten: at very high heat bonds will break
 Aqueous: water can weakens the forces of attraction and ions can be separated .
Electrolysis
of molten
NaCl
.
Molten NaCl

 We have to balance the electrons in both equations because no. of electrons lost is
equal to no. of electrons gained .
 At cathode molten Na will be gained
 At anode green fumes of Cl2 are formed
 So NaCl is decomposed
Redox
reaction
 Na + cation will reduce to
Na by gaining electron from
cathode
 Cl - anion will release
electron at anode and is
oxidised
Electrochemical series for anions and
cations
 .
Electrolysis of concentrated aq. NaCl :
brine
 Ions present
 From NaCl: Na+ Cl-
 From water : H+ and OH-
At cathode
H+
is lower in reactivity series it will
accept electron easily

Reduction reaction:
H+ + e- ---- H
H +H ----- H2

2H+ + 2 e- --- H2
At anode
Cl- and OH- will go to anode as
NaCl is concentrated so Cl- will be
discharged.
It will release electron and become
Cl. Oxidation of Cl occurred. Cl
atoms will form pair.

Cl- ---- Cl +e-

Cl + Cl --- Cl2
2Cl- --- Cl2 + 2e-
Electrolysis of concentrated aq. NaCl :
castic soda NaOH is produced and gases H2 and Cl2 are released.

 .
Result:

 .
Dilute aq. NaCl:

 At cathode :
 Positive ions H+ and Na + are attracted
 Selective discharge will take place and H+ is discharged
 It will gain electron from cathode and reduction takes place
 H atom is formed
 Na+ will remain in solution

 H atom is not stable alone it will combine with another H atom to form H2
 H+ e- ------H
 H+H--- H2
At anode

 As the solution is dilute OH- is easier to discharge as compared to Cl-

 OH- will release electron and oxidization occurs OH will be formed
 Cl- will remain in solution
 OH -------- OH + e-
 OH is unstable
 OH +OH ------ H20 +O
 O is unstable
 O+O ---- O2
At anode

1. OH- ---- e- + OH
2. OH + OH ------ H2O + O
3. O+O ----- O2
 Balance :
 Match O2 in eq.2
 2* ( OH + OH ------ H2O + O)
 4 OH ----- 2 H2O + O2
 Match 4OH in eq.1
 4*(OH- ---- e- + OH)
 4 OH- ---- 4e- + 4OH
 4OH- ------------ 4e- + 2H2O +O2
Dilute NaCl

 0verall reaction

 4 OH- + 4H+ + 4e- ------ 4e- + 2H2O + O2 + 2H2

 4 OH- + 4H+ ---------- 2H2O + O2 + 2H2
 4 H2O --------- 2H2O + O2 + 2H2

 2H2O ----- 2H2 + O2

 Na+ and Cl- will remain in solution and it will progressively become more
concentrated NaCl electrolyte
 PH remain constant
 Result of gases is equivalent to electrolysis of water
Balance the equation at cathode because no. of electrons should
be equal at anode and cathode.
comparison
Applications of electrolysis

 Extraction of metals
 Purifying of Cu
 Manufacture of NaOH castic soda
 Cells