Our chemistry department just acquired a Gamry Interface 1000 for electrochemical detection. We also bought a Dr. Bob's cell to start learning how to use the potentiostat. I want to know what simple RedOx reactions I could try with this cell just to get a sense of how the potentiostat and the electrodes work. Any help will be really appreciated. Thanks!
I'd recommend looking at something simple like ferricyanide in water.
The (discontinued) magazine Current Separations has a lot of useful application notes, like one on ferricyanide - http://www.currentseparations.com/issues/15-1/cs15-1d.pdf
You can find the rest of the issues (and some useful articles) here - http://www.currentseparations.com/issues/
Dear Sonia, if you would make it in a other easy way you can take just a zinc sheet and zinc sulfate electrolyte in a beaker glass together with your reference electrode and the counter electrode (platinum). With this you can measure the OCP (open circuit potential) over time - it should be comparable to the nernst standard electrode potential. After this, you can make some potentiodynamic electrochemical measurements like current density potential measurements or cyclic voltammetry. You can compare your results with the literature. Maybe this helps you, too. Kind regards - Stefan.
This was very helpful Dr. Krebs, thank you so much for your input!
Dear sonia ,
Redox reaction just measure ethano+ any nano particle % ratio mixture it will give good redox behavior
Usually, the first electrochemical experiments were done in potassium ferrocyanide. The redox reaction is with the transfer of one electron. For supporting electrolyte I think pH 4 or 5 is the best choose.
First, the electrodes should be prepared. Counter electrode should be well washed, as well the reference electrode. The working electrode is the most important part. Should be very clean. If is a carbon electrode, as glassy carbon, it should be polished (even is was never used) using diamond particles or alumina.
The next steps:
- all electrodes in electrochemical cell, in supporting electrolyte (only)
- Cyclic voltammetry (CV) from initial potential 0 V to maximum potential + 0.7 V and back to the minimum potential -0.1 V. The step potential 2 mV and the scan rate 50 mV/s (several scans)
-After the electrode was conditioned in suporting electrolyte CVs in potassium ferrocyanide can be done, at the same condition. A concentration of 250 uM can be OK.
On the positive going scan the oxidation peak of potassium ferrocyanide will appear around 250 mV (vs. Ag/AgCl - as reference electrode). On the negative scan, the catodic peak (reduction) should appeared at 60 mV less than oxidation, with a similar current.
The difference of 60 mV between peak potentials corresponds to the transfer of one electron. Also, the redox potentials not depend on the pH of supporting electrolyte.
If instead of potassium ferrocyanide it will be used catechol or hydroquinone the difference between peak potentials (oxidation - reduction) should be 30 mV; the transfer of two electrons. Also, the redox potentials, in this case, depend on the electrolyte pH, which means that the redox reaction take place with protons transfer.
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