Editing Anode (section)

==Electrolytic anode==
In [[electrochemistry]], the ''anode'' is where [[oxidation]] occurs and is the positive polarity contact in an [[electrolytic cell]].<ref>{{cite book |publisher=Blackwell Scientific Publications |title=IUPAC Compendium of Chemical Terminology |edition=2nd |last1=McNaught |first1=A. D. |last2=Wilkinson |first2=A. |place=Oxford |year=1997 |isbn=978-0-9678550-9-7 |doi=10.1351/goldbook.A00370}}</ref> At the anode, [[anion]]s (negative ions) are forced by the electrical potential to react chemically and give off electrons (oxidation) which then flow up and into the driving circuit. [[List of chemistry mnemonics#Electrodes|Mnemonics]]: LEO Red Cat (Loss of Electrons is Oxidation, Reduction occurs at the Cathode), or AnOx Red Cat (Anode Oxidation, Reduction Cathode), or OIL RIG (Oxidation is Loss, Reduction is Gain of electrons), or Roman Catholic and Orthodox (Reduction – Cathode, anode – Oxidation), or LEO the lion says GER (Losing electrons is Oxidation, Gaining electrons is Reduction).

This process is widely used in metals refining.  For example, in copper refining, copper anodes, an intermediate product from the furnaces, are electrolysed in an appropriate solution (such as [[sulfuric acid]]) to yield high purity (99.99%) cathodes. Copper cathodes produced using this method are also described as [[electrolytic copper]].

Historically, when non-reactive anodes were desired for electrolysis, graphite (called plumbago in Faraday's time) or platinum were chosen.<ref name="Faraday1849">{{cite book |last=Faraday |first=Michael |year=1849 |title=Experimental Researches in Electricity |volume=1 |url=http://www.gutenberg.org/files/14986/14986-h/14986-h.htm |location=London |publisher=University of London |author-link=Michael Faraday}}</ref> They were found to be some of the least reactive materials for anodes. Platinum erodes very slowly compared to other materials, and graphite crumbles and can produce carbon dioxide in aqueous solutions but otherwise does not participate in the reaction.{{Citation needed|date=February 2024}}