Redox potentials
Find the potentials at which a species is oxidised or reduced.
Useful forMolecules, complexes, electrode materialsElectrical, Magnetic & Electrochemical
Cyclic Voltammetry
CV
Cyclic voltammetry sweeps an electrode's potential up and back while recording the current. It shows where a material or molecule is oxidised and reduced, how reversibly, and how much charge it can store.
1 test optionThree-electrode cellScan rates ~1 mV/s to 1 V/sTypical turnaround 4–6 working days
Cyclic Voltammetry measurement principleIllustrative
01 / Overview
What is Cyclic Voltammetry?
Cyclic voltammetry ramps the potential of a working electrode linearly between two set limits and back, measured against a stable reference electrode. A potentiostat records the current through a counter electrode, and oxidation and reduction of the sample appear as peaks in the voltammogram.
Peak positions, peak separation and how peaks change with scan rate show redox potentials, reversibility and whether a process is diffusion- or surface-controlled, while the loop area gives capacitance. It is often the first electrochemical test on a new material, before longer charge–discharge or impedance studies.
02 / How it works
How it works
- 01
Electrode is prepared
Powders are made into an ink and coated on the working electrode; films and solutions are used as sent.
- 02
Cell is assembled
Working, reference and counter electrodes go into the electrolyte, often purged with nitrogen first.
- 03
Potential is swept
The potentiostat ramps the potential to a set limit and back at a chosen scan rate.
- 04
Current is recorded
Oxidation and reduction show up as current peaks, repeated over several cycles or scan rates.
03 / What it measures
What it measures
Reversibility & kinetics
Judge reversibility from peak separation and how it shifts with scan rate.
Useful forRedox couples, battery materialsCapacitance
Estimate specific capacitance from the area of the CV loop.
Useful forSupercapacitor electrodes, carbonsElectrochemical stability window
Find the potential range in which an electrolyte or material stays stable.
Useful forElectrolytes, coatings, new materialsElectrocatalytic activity
Compare onset potentials and currents for reactions such as HER or OER.
Useful forCatalysts, modified electrodes04 / Test options
Choose the Cyclic Voltammetry options you need
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05 / Sample requirements
Sample requirements
- Accepted forms
- Powders, films on conductive substrates (e.g. FTO, ITO, metal foil), solutions
- Quantity
- About 20–50 mg of powder, or 10–20 mL of solution
- Film size
- Typically 1 × 1 cm to 2 × 2 cm, with a bare edge for contact
- Test conditions
- State electrolyte, potential window and scan rates, if known
- Dry powder in a sealed, labelled vial
- Films with a bare conductive edge for the electrical contact
- Mention any preferred binder, ink recipe or mass loading
- No samples that dissolve in the chosen electrolyte without discussing first
- No reactive or pyrophoric materials without discussing first
Hazardous or air-sensitive samples: mention it in your request, and attach the MSDS if you have one.
06 / Results & turnaround
Results & turnaround
What you receive
- Cyclic voltammograms (current vs potential)
- Peak potentials, peak currents and peak separation
- Scan-rate comparison, when requested
- Specific capacitance, for capacitive materials
- Raw data files
- Report PDF
Turnaround & pricing
Typically 4–6 working days after samples reach the lab.
Price confirmed in your quotation, depending on user type, options and number of samples.
07 / Limitations
When Cyclic Voltammetry isn't the right fit
Solid-state conductivity without an electrolyte
Identifying the chemical species present
Crystal structure of electrode materials
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