I-BIEM Calculations of the Frequency Dispersion and AC Current Distribution at Disk and Ring-Disk Electrodes

The Iterative Boundary Integral Equation Method (I-BIEM) has been applied to the problem of frequency dispersion at a disk electrode in a finite geometry. The I-BIEM permits the direct evaluation of the AC potential (a complex variable) using complex boundary conditions. The point spacing was made highly nonuniform, to give extremely high resolution in those regions where the variables change most rapidly, i.e., in the vicinity of the edge of the disk. Results are analyzed with respect to IR correction, equipotential surfaces, and reference electrode placement. The current distribution is also examined for a ring-disk configuration, with the ring and the disk at the same AC potential. It is shown that the apparent impedance of the disk is inductive at higher frequencies. The results are compared to analytic calculations from the literature, and usually agree to better than 0.001%.