Patent ID: 11885032
Assignee: REPSOL, S.A.
Field: Surface technology, coating (Chemistry)
Classification: CPC C  Y | IPC C

Claim 0:
1. A method for operating an electrochemical device wherein a nonlinear chemical reaction operating in a non-oscillatory regime takes place; wherein the electrochemical device comprises a working electrode, and a counter electrode, and at least one electrolyte; and wherein the method comprises intentionally imposing an additive extrinsic stochastic disturbance to the potential difference which is established between the electrodes of the electrochemical device; thus an additive and intentionally imposed extrinsic stochastic disturbance is supplied in addition to the applied voltage; and wherein the additive and intentionally imposed extrinsic stochastic disturbance is externally controlled;
wherein the additive and intentionally imposed extrinsic stochastic disturbance is higher in absolute value and different to the inherent and intrinsic noise present within any signal;
wherein the term nonlinear chemical reaction means that the chemical reaction exhibits nonlinear dynamics as evidenced by the nonlinear relationship between electric current and applied voltage between electrodes;
wherein a chemical reaction operating in a non-oscillatory regime refers to dissipative systems wherein the system variables do not follow a harmonic function and the system is away from the equilibrium state;
wherein the mean value of the additive and intentionally imposed extrinsic stochastic disturbance supplied to the potential of the working electrode is within the range Eonset ±1V; wherein Eonset is the potential at which the electrochemical reaction begins to occur with the proviso that when the working electrode comprises a photoactive material, the mean value of the additive and intentionally imposed extrinsic stochastic disturbance supplied to the potential of the working electrode is at a point before reaching the turning point of the I-V curve of the electrode; and
wherein the method is only applicable to the non-oscillatory regime.