3D-printed Ag/AgCl pseudo-reference electrodes

Three-dimensional (3D) printing offers the advantages of customisation, reproducibility and rapid production. In parallel, there is a demand for electrochemical components designed for miniaturisation or customisation of devices. Herein we report a straightforward, fast and simple method to prepare...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Nasuha Rohaizad, Carmen C. Mayorga-Martinez, Filip Novotný, Richard D. Webster, Martin Pumera
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2019-06-01
Series:Electrochemistry Communications
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1388248119301183
Description
Summary:Three-dimensional (3D) printing offers the advantages of customisation, reproducibility and rapid production. In parallel, there is a demand for electrochemical components designed for miniaturisation or customisation of devices. Herein we report a straightforward, fast and simple method to prepare an Ag/AgCl pseudo-reference electrode primarily based on 3D printing using a graphene/polylactic acid filament. The fabrication process involves electrodeposition of silver followed by bleaching to form AgCl on the surface of the electrode. Scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy confirm the fabrication process. Open circuit potential measurements against commercial Ag/AgCl reference electrodes reveal a difference of 14 ± 0.3 mV. Nonetheless, the values are stable and reproducible, fulfilling the necessary requirements of a reference electrode. The performance of the 3D-printed pseudo-reference electrode was tested via cyclic voltammetry in two redox systems, [Fe(CN)6]3−/4− and [Ru(NH3)6]2+/3+. Fabrication of stable 3D-printed reference electrodes represents a key step in the production of fully 3D-printable electrochemical systems. Keywords: 3D print, Additive manufacturing, Fused deposition modeling, Graphene/polylactic acid, Electrodeposition, Reference electrode
ISSN:1388-2481