Electrode array and method for operating the electrode array

• US 9,983,160 B2
• Filed: 06/12/2012
• Issued: 05/29/2018
• 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, Liu, Yaqing, Offenhaeusser, Andreas
• Primary Examiner(s): Kaur, Gurpreet
• Application Number:
  US14/125,416
• Publication Number:
  US 20140216947A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,177 Days
• 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 cyclic reduction and oxidation of a redox species in an electrolyte, comprising a control electrode and a collector electrode, wherein both the control and the collector electrodes are disposed on an insulating substrate and connected to a counter electrode for application of a voltage and further comprising a separate reference electrode configured to measure potentials at least at the control electrode and the collector electrode, wherein,

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

and

b) the collector electrode is disposed opposite the control electrode,

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

wherein the control electrode does not have the second insulator and the charge transfer mediator disposed thereon, and

further wherein the charge transfer mediator and the redox species are both preselected such that the preselected charge transfer mediator and the preselected redox species have a respective standard electrode potential that allows a charge transfer along an 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.

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

3. A method comprising:

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

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

b) the collector electrode is disposed opposite the control electrode,

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

wherein the control electrode does not have the second insulator and the charge transfer mediator disposed thereon;

selecting the charge transfer mediator and the redox species such that the selected charge transfer mediator and the redox species have a respective standard electrode potential that allows a charge transfer along an 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;

selecting the redox species such that the redox species has 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; and

cyclically reacting the redox species at the control electrode and the collector electrode.

4. The electrode array according to claim 1, wherein the control electrode and the collector electrode have a constant distance of less than 10 μ

m.

5. The electrode array according to claim 1, wherein the control and the collector electrodes are arranged in the same plane on the substrate insulator, or on top of each other.

6. The electrode array according to claim 1, wherein the charge transfer mediator comprises 11-undecanethio ferroncene (Fc) and the second insulator comprises hexanedecanethio (HDT).

7. The electrode array according to claim 2, wherein the same material of the control electrode and the collector electrode is gold and the control electrode does not have any further molecule layers thereon.

8. A method comprising:

providing an electrode array, for cyclic reduction and oxidation of a redox species in an electrolyte, comprising a control electrode and a collector electrode,

wherein both the control and the collector electrodes are disposed on an insulating substrate and connected to a counter electrode for application of a voltage, wherein,

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

b) the collector electrode is disposed opposite the control electrode,

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

wherein the control electrode does not have the second insulator and the charge transfer mediator disposed thereon;

selecting the charge transfer mediator and the redox species such that the selected charge transfer mediator and the redox species have a respective standard electrode potential that allows a charge transfer along an 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;

selecting the redox species such that the redox species has 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; and

cyclically reacting the redox species at the control electrode and the collector electrode.

9. A method comprising:

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

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

b) the collector electrode is disposed opposite the control electrode,

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

wherein the control electrode does not have the second insulator and the charge transfer mediator disposed thereon;

selecting the charge transfer mediator and the redox species such that the selected charge transfer mediator and the redox species have a respective standard electrode potential that allows a charge transfer along an 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; and

cyclically reacting the redox species at the control electrode and the collector electrode and selecting an upper and a lower limit current at the collector electrode which, when said upper and lower limit currents are exceeded or no longer met, the charge transfer is established at the collector electrode or control electrode as a positive or negative event.

10. A method comprising:

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

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

b) the collector electrode is disposed opposite the control electrode,

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

wherein the control electrode does not have the second insulator and the charge transfer mediator disposed thereon;

selecting the charge transfer mediator and the redox species such that the selected charge transfer mediator and the redox species have a respective standard electrode potential that allows a charge transfer along an 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; and

cyclically reacting the redox species at the control electrode and the collector electrode and creating a transistor-like current amplification at the collector electrode by modulation of the voltage at the control electrode.