Influence of fabrication procedure on the electrochemical performance of Ag/AgCl reference electrodes

The influence of several parameters in the preparation procedure of thermal-electrolytic Ag/AgCl electrodes on the resulting electrode performance has been studied. In particular, we report the effect on electrode performance of subtle variations in the preparation of silver oxide paste used for electrode manufacture, in thermal annealing conditions employed and in the procedure for electrochemically converting a fraction of the electrode from silver to silver chloride. Scanning electron microscopy and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy have been used to study the characteristics of the electrodes produced. This work reveals a correlation between the electrochemical behaviour and surface physical characteristics - in particular electrode porosity. The outputs of this study have positive implications for improving the accuracy and comparability of primary pH measurement.