Metal/Polypyrrole Quasi-Reference Electrode for Voltammetry in Nonaqueous and Aqueous Solutions

Jalal Ghilane,† Philippe Hapiot,‡ and Allen J. Bard*†
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, and Sciences Chimiques de Rennes, UMR CNRSUniversit de Rennes 1 N 6226, (Equipe MACSE), Campus de Beaulieu, Bat 10C, 35042 Rennes Cedex, France
Anal. Chem., 2006, 78 (19), pp 6868–6872
DOI: 10.1021/ac060818o
Publication Date (Web): August 24, 2006
Copyright © 2006 American Chemical Society
†

 The University of Texas at Austin.

,
‡

 UMR CNRS−Université de Rennes.

,
*

 To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail:  ajbard@ mail.utexas.edu.

Abstract

As an alternative to the usual commercial reference and quasi-reference electrodes (QREs), we propose metal (Pt, stainless steel) coated with partially oxidized polypyrrole as a QRE. The electrode is easily fabricated by cyclic voltammetry (CV) with the metal electrode in an acetonitrile or CH2Cl2 solution of 10 mM pyrrole containing 0.1 M Bu4NPF6. These QREs were more stable than the widely used metal (e.g., Ag, Pt) wire QRE as demonstrated by testing in several aqueous and organic media, with the stability checked by CV with ferrocenemethanol as the redox species. The results obtained demonstrate good stability of these QREs over a period of 1 day and relatively reproducible potential in a given solvent and supporting electrolyte. This electrode has the advantage that it does not contaminate the test solution with ions or solvent from a usual liquid electrolyte (e.g., the KCl in an Ag/AgCl). It is also simple to fabricate very small electrodes for use in nanocells, e.g., in scanning tunneling and electrochemical microscopy.

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History

  • Published In Issue October 01, 2006
  • Received for review May 2, 2006. Accepted July 21, 2006.

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