What applications are mercury drop electrodes used for, and what are the special requirements for such electrodes?
Mercury drop electrodes have three major advantages over solid electrode materials such as platinum and glassy carbon: a) a more reproducible surface b) more negative potentials can be attained in aqueous systems c) amalgamation with heavy metals (e.g., lead and cadmium) Therefore, mercury drop electrodes are used for determination of trace metals with stripping voltammetry (where reproducibility is critical) and measurements at negative potentials in aqueous systems. A mercury drop electrode consists of a mercury drop at the end of the capillary. The other end of the capillary is attached to a reservoir of mercury, and control of the flow of mercury from the reservoir is controlled by a valve. The simplest mercury electrode is the Dropping Mercury Electrode (DME), for which the valve is held open throughout the experiment. The mercury drop is therefore dynamic, growing to a certain size before falling off the capillary under its own weight. (The drop can also be displaced at set time
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- What applications are mercury drop electrodes used for, and what are the special requirements for such electrodes?
