On the Theory of Electron-Transfer Reactions. VI. Unified Treatment for Homogeneous and Electrode Reactions

Abstract

A unified theory of homogeneous and electrochemical electron-transfer rates is developed using statistical mechanics. The treatment is a generalization of earlier papers of this series and is concerned with seeking a fairly broad basis for the quantitative correlations among chemical and electrochemical rate constants predicted in these earlier papers. The atomic motions inside the inner coordination shell of each reactant are treated as vibrations. The motions outside are treated by the "particle description," which emphasizes the functional dependence of potential energy and free energy on molecular properties and which avoids, thereby, some unnecessary assumptions about the molecular interactions.