| Comments |
The standard redox potential of the CO2/acetate, CO2/methane, and sulfate/sulfide half-cell reactions approximates –290, –240 and –220 mV, respectively. Thus, under standard conditions, the reductive synthesis of acetate from CO2 is thermodynamically less favorable than methanogenesis or the reduction of sulfate to sulfide. The standard reduction potential is defined relative to a standard hydrogen electrode (SHE) reference electrode, which is arbitrarily given a potential of 0.00 volts. |