Material Detail

This article describes the practical design and construction of a small, inexpensive programmable potentiostat including a list of the components and circuitry for building a complete self-contained potentiostat - all for approximately $50 in component cost. Explanation is given about the basics and the operational characteristics of this potentiostat, illustrated by running cyclic voltammetric scans of potassium ferricyanide in a 3-electrode cell. The noise, as seen by the small oscillations on the voltammograms, may be lessened by the use of a shielded/grounded case with use of BNC connectors for attaching the electrodes to the potentiostat. Some of the components may no longer be manufactured and may have to substituted with equivalent available parts. Students interested in analytical instrumentation or electrochemistry, including projects involving field-portable electrochemical instrumentation, might also find this potentiostat useful. This is a good example of a practical instrument/ circuit design.

Disciplines:

• Science and Technology  / Chemistry