Systems Electrochemistry

Beyond the Cartesian framework, emergent processes in many chemical, physical, and biological systems exemplify the maxim ‘the whole is more than the sum of its parts’. An electrochemical reaction provides a prototype example of a complex system where interactions of chemical reactions and physical processes (mass transfer, electrostatics) produce non-trivial, emergent temporal and spatial dependences of reaction rates. The integrative experimental and modeling techniques are the common denominators in Systems Electrochemistry: the main objective is to advance the understanding of emergent properties of electrochemical systems in which many variables are handled simultaneously. A wide range of, typically far-from-equilibrium, systems are considered in electrocatalysis, corrosion, bioelectrochemistry, electrodeposition, batteries, fuel cells, and semiconductor systems. Concrete examples include multistability, periodic and chaotic oscillations, and pattern formation in electrochemical reactions, whole-cell bioelectrochemistry, stability of single and cascaded fuel cells, reaction dynamics coupled with mass transfer, and stochastic corrosion phenomena. System Electrochemistry encompasses thus many electrochemical systems in a transdisciplinary agenda that aims to bring together experts from various fields who use mathematical and experimental approaches for the characterization of dynamical responses in temporal and spatial domains. The adoption of Systems approaches in various fields will expand considerably the understanding of complex electrochemical processes. In this introductory address of the Systems Electrochemistry symposium, we discuss some of these aspects, illustrate examples, and suggest future directions.