ELECTRODE ARRANGEMENT AND METHOD FOR OPERATING THE ELECTRODE ARRANGEMENT

• US 20140216947A1
• Filed: 06/12/2012
• Published: 08/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Forschungszentrum Jã¼Lich GmbH (Bundesrepublik Deutschland)
• Original Assignee: Forschungszentrum Jã¼Lich GmbH (Bundesrepublik Deutschland)
• Inventors: Mayer, Dirk, Offenhaeusser, Andreas, Liu, Yaqing
• Granted Patent: US 9,983,160 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 205/775
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/27 Association of two or more measuring systems or cells, each measuring a different parameter, where the measurement results may be either used independently, the systems or cells being physically associated, or combined to produce a value for a further parameter
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/3277 being a redox reaction, e.g. detection by cyclic voltammetry voltammetry per se G01N27/42, G01N27/48

Abstract

An electrode array for the cyclic reduction and oxidation of a redox species in an electrolyte, wherein both electrodes are disposed on an insulating substrate and connected to a counter electrode for the application of a voltage, comprising: 1) a control electrode for reacting the redox species for cyclic electron transport between the electrodes: and b) a collector electrode disposed opposite the control electrode, wherein a layer structure composed of a second insulator and a charge transfer mediator disposed thereon is additionally disposed on the side of the collector electrode located opposite the insulating substrate for reacting the redox species Two methods for operating the electrode array are disclosed.

Claims

1. An electrode array for the cyclic reduction and oxidation of a redox species in an electrolyte, wherein both electrodes are disposed on an insulating substrate and connected to a counter electrode for the application of a voltage, comprising:

c) a control electrode for reacting the redox species for cyclic electron transport between the electrodes; and

d) a collector electrode disposed opposite the control electrode, wherein a layer structure composed of a second insulator and a charge transfer mediator disposed thereon is additionally disposed on the side of the collector electrode located opposite the insulating substrate for reacting the redox species.

2. The electrode array according to claim 1, wherein the electrodes that are made of the same material.

3. A method for operating an electrode array according to claim 1, wherein a charge transfer mediator and a redox species are selected having a respective standard electrode potential which allows a charge transfer along the electrochemical series as a function of the voltage that is applied by the counter electrode to the control electrode, and by the counter electrode to the collector electrode, the redox species being cyclically reacted at the control electrode and the collector electrode.

4. The method according to claim 1, comprising selecting a redox species having a more negative standard electrode potential than the standard electrode potential of the charge transfer mediator, the redox species being added to the electrolyte in oxidized form, with a potential that is more negative than the standard electrode potential of the redox species being applied to the control electrode, and a potential that is more positive than the standard electrode potential of the charge transfer mediator being applied to the collector electrode.

5. The method according to claim 1, comprising selecting a redox species having a more positive standard electrode potential than the standard electrode potential of the charge transfer mediator, the redox species being added to the electrolyte in reduced form, with a potential that is more positive than the standard electrode potential of the redox species being applied to the control electrode, and a potential that is more negative than the standard electrode potential of the charge transfer mediator being applied to the collector electrode.

6. A method according to claim 3, comprising selecting an upper and a lower limit current at the collector electrode which, when they are exceeded or no longer met, establish the Charge transfer at the collector electrode or control electrode as a positive or negative event.

7. A method according to claim 3, comprising a transistor-like amplification of the current at the collector electrode is created by modulation of the voltage at the control electrode.