Cyclic Voltammogram
Chart overview
Cyclic voltammetry (CV) is the most widely used electroanalytical technique, sweeping electrode potential back and forth while recording current to reveal oxidation and reduction peaks, their positions, and their relative magnitudes.
Key points
- Peak separation diagnoses reaction reversibility, peak current scales with scan rate to distinguish adsorption from diffusion-controlled processes, and the potential window defines the stability limit of the electrolyte.
- CV is central to characterizing battery electrode materials, evaluating electrocatalysts, studying molecular redox chemistry, and measuring capacitance in supercapacitors.
Python Tutorial
How to create a cyclic voltammogram in Python
Use the full tutorial for implementation details, troubleshooting, and chart variations in matplotlib, seaborn, and plotly.
Complete Guide to Scientific Data VisualizationExample Visualization
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Generate publication-ready cyclic voltammograms with AI in seconds. No coding required – just describe your data and let AI do the work.
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"Create a publication-quality cyclic voltammogram from my CV data. Plot current (mA or mA/cm^2) on the y-axis versus potential (V vs. reference electrode, e.g., vs. RHE or vs. Ag/AgCl) on the x-axis. Add directional arrows indicating the forward and reverse potential sweeps. Annotate the anodic peak potential (Epa) and cathodic peak potential (Epc) with their current values. If multiple scan rates are included, overlay them in a color gradient from slow to fast with a legend. Add a horizontal dashed line at zero current, axis labels with units, and a descriptive title. White background."
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Python Code Example
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Figure saved: plotivy-cv-voltammogram.png
Common Use Cases
- 1Identifying redox-active species and their formal potentials in electrolyte solutions
- 2Evaluating pseudocapacitive charge storage contributions in battery electrode materials
- 3Screening electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction or hydrogen evolution activity
- 4Determining the electrochemical stability window of new ionic liquid electrolytes
Pro Tips
Add directional arrows on the CV trace to show the potential sweep direction clearly
Annotate anodic (Epa) and cathodic (Epc) peak positions and calculate peak separation for reversibility
Use consistent colors when overlaying multiple scan rates, from light (slow) to dark (fast)
Normalize current to electrode area (mA/cm^2) or active mass (A/g) for fair comparison
Long-tail keyword opportunities
High-intent chart variations
Library comparison for this chart
matplotlib
Best when you need full control over axis formatting, annotation placement, and journal-specific styling for cv-voltammogram.
numpy
Useful in specialized workflows that complement core Python plotting libraries for cv-voltammogram analysis tasks.
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