Universal Reference Electrode System for Non-Ideal Media

This paper is dedicated to the 75ᵗʰ birthday of Professor Jiří Barek

Abstract

Potentials in electrochemical experiments are referenced to a hydrogen electrode, which is set up in an ideal aqueous medium. However, most electrochemical experiments are performed in media which are far from ideal. This inevitably leads to the necessity of using a liquid junction between ideal and non-ideal solutions, or a pseudoreference electrode. The resulting undefined and irreproducible liquid junction potential can be eliminated by the Universal Reference Electrode system presented here. This consists of two electrodes: a voltammetric metallocene electrode and a potentiometric polyaniline electrode. The system is not a replacement for a Normal Hydrogen Electrode. It is only an elimination of undefined liquid junction potential, when working in a non-ideal medium.

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