09134 IUPAC Gold Book - cyclic voltammetry 10.1351/goldbook.09134 09134 current initialism: CV synonym: cyclic linear scan voltammetry 1 Voltammetry in which the electric current is recorded as the electrode potential is varied with time cyclically between two potential limits, normally at a constant scan rate.Cyclic voltammetry. (a) Variation of applied potential with time. (b) Cyclic voltammogram of current against applied potential for a reversible redox couple. The initial potential is usually the negative or positive limit of the cycle but can have any value between the two limits, as can the initial scan direction. The limits of the potential are known as the switching potentials. See figure a. Normally the initial potential is chosen where no electrode reaction occurs and the switching potential is greater (more positive for an oxidation or more negative for a reduction) than the peak potential of the analyte reaction. The plot of current against potential is termed a cyclic voltammogram. Usually peak-shaped responses are obtained for scans in both directions. See figure b. Cyclic voltammetry is frequently used for the investigation of mechanisms of electrochemical/electrode reactions. The current-potential curve may be modelled to obtain reaction mechanisms and electrochemical parameters. Voltammetry https://goldbook.iupac.org//terms/view/09148 scan rate https://goldbook.iupac.org//terms/view/09146 voltammogram https://goldbook.iupac.org//terms/view/09149 PAC, 2020, 92, 641. 'Terminology of Electrochemical Methods of Analysis (IUPAC Recommendations 2019)' on page 670 (https://doi.org/10.1515/pac-2018-0109) https://goldbook.iupac.org/terms/view/09134/html https://goldbook.iupac.org/terms/view/09134/json https://goldbook.iupac.org/terms/view/09134/plain Citation: 'cyclic voltammetry' in IUPAC Compendium of Chemical Terminology, 5th ed. International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry; 2025. Online version 5.0.0, 2025. 10.1351/goldbook.09134 The IUPAC Gold Book is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike CC BY-SA 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) for individual terms. If you are interested in licensing the Gold Book for commercial use, please contact the IUPAC Executive Director at executivedirector@iupac.org . The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) is continuously reviewing and, where needed, updating terms in the Compendium of Chemical Terminology (the IUPAC Gold Book). Users of these terms are encouraged to include the version of a term with its use and to check regularly for updates to term definitions that you are using. 2026-04-18T07:57:56+00:00