Implementation of a Statistically Supported Heuristic Approach to Alternating Current Voltammetric Harmonic Component Analysis: Re-evaluation of the Macrodisk Glassy Carbon Electrode Kinetics for Oxidation of Ferrocene in Acetonitrile

Sinusoidal large amplitude ac voltammetric techniques gene-rate very large data sets. When analyzed in the frequency domain, using a Fourier transform (FT)-band filtering- inverse FT sequence, the data may be resolved into the aperiodic dc, fundamental, second, and higher order ac harmonics. Each of these components exhibit a different level of sensitivity to electrode kinetics, uncompensated resistance and capacitance. Detailed simulations illustrate how the heuristic approach for evaluation of each data subset may be implemented and exploited in the assessment of the electrode kinetics for the fast Fc ? Fc(+) + e (Fc = ferrocene) oxidation process at a glassy carbon macrodisk electrode. The simulations presented in this study are based on the Butler-Volmer model and incorporate consideration of the uncompensated resistance (R(u)), double-layer capacitance (C(dl)), rate constant (k(0)), and charge transfer coefficient (α). Error analysis of the heuristically evaluated simulation-experiment comparison is used to assist in establishing the best fit of data for each harmonic. The result of the heuristic pattern recognition type approach for analysis of the oxidation of ferrocene (0.499, 0.999, and 5.00 mM) at a glassy carbon macrodisk electrode in acetonitrile (0.1 M Bu(4)NPF(6)) implies that k(0) ≥ 0.25 cm s(-1) on the basis of analysis of the first 4 harmonics and plausibly lies in the range of 0.25-0.5 cm s(-1) with α = 0.25-0.75 when analysis of the next four harmonics is undertaken. The k(0) value is significantly faster then indicated in most literature reports based on use of dc cyclic voltammetry under transient conditions at glassy carbon macrodisk electrode. The data analysis with a sinusoidal amplitude of 80 mV is conducted at very low frequency experiments of 9 Hz to minimize contribution from electrode heterogeneity, frequency dispersion, and adsorption, all of which can complicate the response for the oxidation of Fc in acetonitrile at a glassy carbon electrode.