Redox-Detecting Deep Learning for Mechanism Discernment in Cyclic Voltammograms of Multiple Redox Events

In electrochemical analysis, mechanism assignment is fundamental to understanding the chemistry of a system. The detection and classification of electrochemical mechanisms in cyclic voltammetry set the foundation for subsequent quantitative evaluation and practical application, but are often based on relatively subjective visual analyses. Deep-learning (DL) techniques provide an alternative, automated means that can support experimentalists in mechanism assignment. Herein, we present a custom DL architecture dubbed as EchemNet, capable of assigning both voltage windows and mechanism classes to electrochemical events within cyclic voltammograms of multiple redox events. The developed technique detects over 96% of all electrochemical events in simulated test data and shows a classification accuracy of up to 97.2% on redox events with 8 known mechanisms. This newly developed DL model, the first of its kind, proves the feasibility of redox-event detection and electrochemical mechanism classification with minimal <i>a priori</i> knowledge. The DL model will augment human researchers' productivity and constitute a critical component in a general-purpose autonomous electrochemistry laboratory.