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ISSN: 2471-2698
Perspective

Coulometry: Basic Principle and Applications

Mouna Aslam*

Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA

DESCRIPTION reacts with electrons to form a metal deposit M. If a known
electrical charge Q is passed through the solution, the amount
Coulometry is a technique used in electrochemistry to determine of metal deposited can be calculated using Faraday’s law. This
the quantity of electricity needed to complete an electrolytic calculation is based on the number of electrons required to
reaction. This technique is based on Faraday’s law of electrolysis, reduce one mole of M2+ to M, which is given by the
which states that the mass of a substance produced or consumed stoichiometry of the reaction. If the number of moles of M2+ in
during an electrolytic reaction is directly proportional to the the solution is known, the concentration of M2+ can be
amount of electricity that flows through the system. Coulometry calculated using the mass of metal deposited.
can be used to determine the amount of a substance in a
Coulometry can also be used to determine the purity of a
solution, the purity of a compound, or the kinetics of an
compound. If a solution contains multiple substances,
electrochemical reaction.
coulometry can be used to selectively remove or deposit one of
The basic principle of coulometry involves passing a known the substances by controlling the reaction conditions. The
electrical charge through a solution containing the analyte. The purity of the compound can then be determined by measuring
analyte is the substance being measured, and it can be either a the change in the solution and comparing it to the theoretical
reactant or a product in the electrolytic reaction. The charge is amount of electricity required based on the stoichiometry of
typically generated using a power source, such as a battery or a the reaction.
potentiostat. The charge is then passed through the solution for
Coulometry is also commonly used to study the kinetics of
a specific period of time, and the resulting change in the solution
electrochemical reactions. By varying the reaction conditions,
is measured.
such as the concentration of the analyte, the temperature, or
There are two main types of coulometry: Constant current the applied potential, the rate of the reaction can be measured.
coulometry and constant potential coulometry. In constant Coulometry can be used to determine the reaction order, the
current coulometry, a constant electrical current is passed rate constant, and the activation energy of the reaction.
through the solution, and the time required to produce a specific
Coulometry has many advantages over other analytical
amount of product is measured. In contrast, in constant
techniques. It is a highly accurate technique, as the amount of
potential coulometry, a constant electrical potential is applied to
electricity required to complete the reaction is directly
the solution, and the amount of current required to produce a
proportional to the amount of analyte present. Coulometry is
specific amount of product is measured. Constant potential
also a selective technique, as it can be used to selectively
coulometry is more commonly used than constant current
remove or deposit one of the substances in a solution. This
coulometry, as it allows for better control of the reaction
makes it ideal for the analysis of trace elements or impurities.
conditions.
Additionally, coulometry is a non-destructive technique, as the
Coulometry can be used to measure the amount of a substance analyte can be recovered after the analysis is complete.
in a solution by comparing the amount of electricity required to However, there are also some limitations to coulometry.
produce a specific amount of product to the theoretical amount Coulometry requires a high level of skill and expertise to
of electricity required based on the stoichiometry of the reaction. perform, as it is sensitive to small variations in the reaction
For example, consider a solution containing a metal ion M2+ that conditions.

Correspondence to: Mouna Aslam, Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA, E-mail: aslam60@gmail.com
Received: 02-Jan-2023, Manuscript No. PACO-23-23733; Editor assigned: 04-Jan-2023, PreQC No. PACO-23-23733 (PQ); Reviewed: 18-Jan-2023,
QC No. PACO-23-23733; Revised: 25-Jan-2023, Manuscript No. PACO-23-23733 (R); Published: 01-Feb-2023, DOI: 10.35248/2471-2698.23.8.179
Citation: Aslam M (2023) Coulometry: Basic Principle and Applications. Pharm Anal Chem. 8:179.
Copyright: © 2023 Aslam M. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits
unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

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