The electrochemical potential is the fundamental parameter in the theory of electrochemistry. Not only does it determine the position of electrochemical equilibria but also it acts as the driving force for electron transfer reactions, diffusion-migration phenomena, and phase transformations of all kinds. In the present work, the electrochemical potential is defined as the total work done in transferring a single particle of a substance from a universal reference state to a specified location, at constant temperature and pressure. It is the sum of two scalar fields: the electrostatic potential energy and the chemical potential energy. The electrochemical potential is widely underutilized within the fields of solid-state science and electrochemical engineering. For historical reasons, many authors prefer to analyze driving forces in terms of electrode potentials, concentration gradients, or Gibbs free energies. In this paper, the author provides a short introduction to the electrochemical potential and then shows how some of the major branches of electrochemistry can benefit from using it. Topics examined include the Volta potential difference, the membrane potential difference, the scanning Kelvin probe microscope, the electromotive force, the proton motive force, and the activation of electron transfer.

电化学势是电化学理论中的基本参数。它不仅确定电化学平衡的位置，而且还充当电子转移反应，扩散迁移现象和各种相变的驱动力。在本工作中，电化学势定义为在恒定的温度和压力下，将一种物质的单个粒子从通用参考状态转移到指定位置所完成的总功。它是两个标量场的总和：静电势能和化学势能。在固态科学和电化学工程领域中，电化学势未被充分利用。由于历史原因，许多作者更喜欢根据电极电势，浓度梯度或吉布斯自由能来分析驱动力。在本文中，作者简要介绍了电化学电势，然后说明了电化学的一些主要分支如何从中受益。检查的主题包括伏特电势差，膜电势差，扫描开尔文探针显微镜，电动势，质子动力和电子转移的激活。