bipotentiostat

A bipotentiostat is an electrochemical instrument that controls the electric potential between two working electrodes and a common reference electrode. Unlike a standard potentiostat which controls a single working electrode, a bipotentiostat allows for simultaneous measurements or manipulations at two distinct locations within an electrochemical cell. This is particularly useful for studying interfacial phenomena or systems where two electrodes interact.

The instrument operates by applying specific potentials to each working electrode relative to the reference electrode. Feedback circuitry ensures that these potentials are maintained with high precision, even as current flows through the cell. This capability enables the investigation of complex electrochemical processes. For example, it can be used in techniques like scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM) where a microelectrode scans the surface of a sample, or in studying electrochemical reactions involving multiple redox centers.

The design of a bipotentiostat involves two independent potentiostatic control channels, each connected to a separate working electrode, sharing a common reference electrode and counter electrode. This setup is crucial for experiments that require precise control over the electrochemical environment at two different points simultaneously. The applications of bipotentiostats are diverse, spanning fields such as electrocatalysis, corrosion science, and biosensor development.