Butler-Volmer meets microscopic reversibility

Historically, the development of Butler-Volmer Theory was motivated by a communal desire to explain the broad range of Tafel slopes observed experimentally. However, after a century of assiduous effort, the theory's domain of applicability remains surprisingly narrow. The present article describes some recent attempts to broaden its scope; and then shows how the prin-ciple of microscopic reversibility can be used to generate new insights and new results. Finally, extensions of the theory to electrocatalysis are briefly touched.

Automated summary

The development of Butler-Volmer Theory aimed to explain the broad range of Tafel slopes observed experimentally. However, despite a century of effort, the theory's applicability remains narrow. This article discusses recent attempts to broaden its scope, the use of microscopic reversibility to generate new insights, and briefly touches on its extension to electrocatalysis.