Does anyone know how to determine if a material is a better cathode or anode?

[Du999999]

I will begin my undergraduate degree in the fall in physical chemistry, and I would like to know how you can determine whether a metal or semiconductor is a better cathode or a better anode. Can someone help me out on this, please?

 

[IRstuff]

Depends on what the requirements are, doesn't it?

TTFN
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[Du999999]

Thank you for your response. What requirements would make a material a better anode or a better cathode? And with respect to the requirements, what properties would allow the material to fulfill those requirements?

 

[IRstuff]

What type of materials are you referring to? What do you mean by "better?" Better at what? Unless there are specific requirements, like breakdown voltage, or forward drop, or leakage, or operating temperature, such a question is essentially pointless. Moreover, since silicon is the dominant semiconductor material, "silicon" is generally the answer to the question.

TTFN
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[Du999999]

Where can I find a list of common specific requirements? It seems as though you are saying that specific requirements (properties)of the device are the key to "better" or "worse". Properties like breakdown voltage, or forward drop, or leakage, or operating temperature. Are there anymore terms like this? I can research these words. I am referring to semiconductors and metals. I am building electrochemical cells. BASED ON CHARGE TRANSFER PHENOMENON, I NEED TO KNOW WHICH MATERIALS BETWEEN SEMICONDUCTORS, OR BETWEEN METALS OR EVEN DIFFERENT GLASSES (AS SUBSTRATES) IS BETTER FOR A PARTICULAR APPLICATION. Do you have a list of applications too?

Thank you for your response.

 

[IRstuff]

OK, if you had bothered to start out by saying that you're building a battery, the answer would have been different. There are lots of battery resources on the web.

"WHICH MATERIALS BETWEEN SEMICONDUCTORS, OR BETWEEN METALS OR EVEN DIFFERENT GLASSES"

You are not talking about cathodes here.

TTFN
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[Du999999]

Okay, So here is the "real". If I deposit gold on pyrite, in order to fabricate an electrode for a photvoltaic cell, How can I conduct an experiment that shows, if that composite (the electrode) is better at playing the role of an anode or cathode for the photovoltaic device? I am going to conduct Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy, and dc conductance on the electrode in order to attempt to solve my problem, but I don't know if it's enough or how to take the data and "prove" something.

Regards,