Working electrodes ionic liquid electrochemistry

As has been shown in the preceding sections, there is no universal reference electrode system which works for all kinds of molten salts or ionic liquid electrochemistry. Indeed the reference electrodes that can be used are dependent upon the solvent system. Consequently, careful consideration should be made for choice of reference electrode and thought given to its use within the solvent system under investigation. 

Frasca et al. reported the direct electrochemistry of human SO on a gold nanoparticle modified Au electrode. The nanopartieles (average size 6 nm) were prepared by reduction of HAUCI4 with poly(ethyleneimine) in an ionic liquid then covalently attaehed to a mercaptoundecanoic acid modified Au working electrode using a peptide eoupling agent. Human SO was subsequently... 

Electrochemistry at liquid/liquid interfaces has progressed markedly in the past 30 years. Excellent work on modified liquid/liquid interface with lipids and nanoparticles have been reported (75, 78, 124-127). Droplet electrodes and three-phase jnnctions have made this field more popular and versatile (102, 103, 128). The ET induced IT reactions at three-phase junction have been employed to obtain the log P of different drugs at W/n-octanol interfaces (102, 129, 130). New and less toxic solvents, such as room tanperature ionic liquids (RTILs) have replaced organic solvents to form W/RTIL interfaces (131, 132). However, from a theoretical point of view, the key aspects of potential distribution remain the major challenge. Only a few biological applications have been so far reported based on the techniques developed from this field. 

One of the open problems of electrochemistry in ionic liquids nowadays is the choice of a reference electrode. Chapter 3 discusses the latest understanding and practical approaches to the apphcation of reference electrodes and internal reference redox scales in ionic hquids. Problems and limitations of reference systems are presented with the help of experimental examples. Comparison of the behavior of internal reference redox systems in organic solvents with added supporting electrolyte and ionic hquids is provided and new observations critically discussed. This chapter is very important for any experimentalist starting work in the electrochemical and IL helds. Further information about internal reference redox scales can also be found in Volume 2 (Chap. 14). 

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