A certain half-reaction has a standard reduction potential E0 red = +1.32 V. An engineer proposes using this half-reaction at the anode of a galvanic cell that must provide at least 0.60 V of electrical power. The cell will operate under standard conditions. Note for advanced students: assume the engineer requires this half-reaction to happen at the anode of the cell.
Is there a minimum standard reduction potential that the half-reaction used at the cathode of this cell can have?

The spontaneity of any reaction is predicted by the thermodynamic term, ΔG (Gibbs free energy). A negative value of ΔG gives the spontaneous redox reaction.

ΔG = -nFE° cell

E° cell =E cathode -E anode

Therefore, ΔG comes out to be negative if E° cell is positive.

The ion with the higher E value is the better oxidizing agent (reduced) and called as cathode. The ion with a lower E is the better reducing agent (oxidized) and called as the anode. In a Galvanic Cell, ion with E>0 is the cathode (higher E value).

It is given E anode=1.10 V.

E cathode must be greater than 1.10 V to make the cell reaction to occur.

E cathode must have any value. Thus, there is no maximum value for E cathode

Therefore, any reaction with E°(V) value greater than 1.10 may be used as a cathode in the cell.

The given reaction has E°(V) = +2.87 .

[tex]F_2 (8)[/tex] + 2e⇒2F (aq)