Electrochemistry in Research and Development

This volume contains the papers presented at the UNESCO Scientific Forum on Chemistry in the Service of Mankind - Electrochemistry in Research and Development, held in Paris, June 4-6, 1984. Electrochemistry is concerned with the way electricity produces chemical changes and in turn chemical changes result in the production of electricity. This interaction forms the basis for an enormous variety of processes ranging from heavy industry through batteries to biological phenomena. Although there are many established applications, modern research has led to a great expansion in the possibilities for using electrochemistry in exciting future developments. To encourage this progress, UNESCO has set up an Expert Committee on Electrochemistry and its Applications in the European and North American region, which has already held a number of meetings devoted to specific topics. To achieve a synthesis of the main directions of development and to demonstrate the importance of these for the needs of our modern society, the Expert Committee organized a Forum on Electrochemistry in Research and Development. The object of this was to assess the future trends in research and development and to establish a dialogue between experts in electrochemistry and their colleagues in the many other disciplines which can make use of electrochemistry. The Forum was also intended to present electrochemistry and its applications in a form accessible to non-specialists so that science policy-makers will be aware of the potentialities of this subject for the future needs of mankind.