Reference electrodes are vital in studying the electrochemical changes of biological systems to both enhance understanding of these complex systems and to aid in the development of treatment for environmental or health-related issues. Recent developments in miniaturization and materials suggest future availability of dependable reference electrodes. Ag/AgCl reference electrodes are commonly used in a variety of systems. Unfortunately in some measurements, such as those obtained in biological-based systems, the Ag/AgCl electrode promotes inaccuracies and errors that lead to non-reproducible reference potential measurements. Alternatives to traditional Ag/AgCl electrodes include Hg/HgO reference electrodes, but unfortunately these pose environmental issues. Park et al.⁴ developed a novel silver tetramethylbis(benzimidazolium) diiodide reference electrode that exhibited superior characteristics and reproducibility in acid and alkaline solutions. The promising success of this hybrid electrode provides a suitable alternative to more traditional reference electrodes.

Disposable, miniature reference electrodes are increasingly in demand due to the popularity of microfluidic systems. Zhou et al. recently reported a miniaturized Ag/AgCl reference electrode and its successful application to a microfluidic chip. The electrode exhibited ample stability and adequately sensed heavy metal ions in sea water samples. This novel, miniature reference electrode has potential in a variety of fields where disposability, mass production, and laminar flow are challenges to experiments concerning microfluidic electrochemical measurements. Screening printing has become a useful tool for the fabrication of electrodes. Idegami et al. were able to develop a disposable sensor containing an Ag/AgCl reference electrode, utilizing screen printing technology. They successfully investigated ease of fabrication, stability, and accuracy. Their findings suggest the screen printed Ag/AgCl reference electrode has long-term stability and is suitable for mass production, allowing for future biosensing applications.

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Journal of Industrial Electronics and Applications
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