| RefNo | EC/1980/25 |
| Previous numbers | Cert XX, 202 |
| Level | Item |
| Title | Parsons, Roger: certificate of election to the Royal Society |
| Date | 1974 |
| Description | Citation typed |
| Citation | Distinguished for his contributions to electrochemistry, both experimental and theoretical.
His early work was concerned with the fundamental problems of the kinetics of electrode processes, particularly of hydrogen evolution and redox systems; one important feature of these studies was to provide the first experimental support for the theoretically predicted variation of the transfer coefficient with potential. At the same time, his theoretical contributions had considerable impact. His theoretical analysis relating rate to adsorption energy provided the basis for his widely-accepted theory of electrocatalysis, and included the effects of inhibition and specificity in branched reaction sequences. In addition, he developed precise thermodynamic procedures with the introduction of a new thermodynamic function for evaluation of surface excesses at electrified interphases and of heats of adsorption, finally to provide a theoretical and thermodynamic basis for the Esin-Markov effect. His concurrent experimental work provided detailed information of the nature of the interactions, the electrical properties of the solvent molecules adjacent to the electrode, the thickness of the electrical double layer, the effects of geometrically isomeric ions, and also the first rigorous test of the Gouy-Chapman diffuse layer theory.
Other work was concerned with the experimental determination of single ion solvation free energies, methods of separation of bulk and surface contributions, and the identification of the surface orientation of solvent molecules at the electrode/electrolyte interface. Recently, he has developed an original method for the study of adsorbed species by examination of the polarization state of specularly reflected light from the electrode surface; although similar to ellipsometry, one real advantage is that rate processes can be studied without great difficulty. |
| AccessStatus | Closed |
Fellows associated with this archive
| Code | PersonName | Dates |
| NA4096 | Parsons; Roger (1926 - 2017) | 1926 - 2017 |