The concentration
overpotential of an
electrode reaction at a given
electrode current density (

) is basically the difference in equilibrium potentials across the
diffusion layer. More precisely, it is the potential of a
reference electrode (of the same
electrode reaction as the
working electrode ) with the interfacial concentrations which establish themselves at

, relative to the potential of a similar
reference electrode with the concentrations of the bulk solution. From such a measured potential difference, with

flowing, one needs to subtract the ohmic potential drop prevailing between the two electrodes.
Source:
PAC, 1981, 53, 1827
(Nomenclature for transport phenomena in electrolytic systems)
on page 1838
Cite as:
IUPAC. Compendium of Chemical Terminology, 2nd ed. (the "Gold Book"). Compiled by A. D. McNaught and A.Wilkinson. Blackwell Scientific Publications, Oxford (1997). XML on-line corrected version: http://goldbook.iupac.org (2006-) created by M. Nic, J. Jirat, B. Kosata; updates compiled by A. Jenkins. ISBN 0-9678550-9-8.
doi:10.1351/goldbook.