Electrochemical nucleation

The common experimental procedures for studying electrochemical nucleation are described and discussed, with particular reference to methods of determining the nuclear number density. The importance of spherical diffusion is stressed as is the termination of the nucleation process by the overlap of adjacent diffusion fields. A new theory is proposed for the potentiostatic current maximum which leads to more reliable values of the nuclear number density and to a better distinction between instantaneous and progressive nucleation.