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Theory of Microwell Arrays Performing as Generators–Collectors Based on a Single Bipolar Plane Electrode
Author(s) -
Oleinick Alexander,
Yan Jiawei,
Mao Bingwei,
Svir Irina,
Amatore Christian
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
chemelectrochem
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.182
H-Index - 59
ISSN - 2196-0216
DOI - 10.1002/celc.201500321
Subject(s) - potentiostat , analyte , electrode , generator (circuit theory) , planar , materials science , sensitivity (control systems) , optoelectronics , chemistry , analytical chemistry (journal) , computer science , electronic engineering , physics , chromatography , engineering , power (physics) , electrochemistry , computer graphics (images) , quantum mechanics
Electroanalytical arrays of microwells with increased sensitivity and virtual immunity to interferents have been previously reported by us. Such arrays were designed to be operated in a classical generator–collector mode but exhibited also similar properties when their common planar collector was left floating. This evidenced that the unbiased collector acted as a bipolar electrode. In this work, a theory is elaborated to investigate in great detail the generality of this phenomenon and its limits. This establishes that if the analyte pertains to a redox couple with relatively fast electron rate constants, the bipolar collector results to be almost as efficient as when biased, thus suppressing the need for a bi‐potentiostat with obvious gain for analytical applications. Conversely, if the analyte rate constant of electron transfer is small, efficient operation in a bipolar mode remains feasible but requires a drastic decrease of the microwell density in the array.