Instrumentation: Instrumentation

A CV system consists of an electrolysis cell, a potentiostat, a current-to-voltage converter, and a data acquisition system. The electrolysis cell consists of a working electrode, counter electrode, reference electrode, and electrolytic solution. The working electrode’s potential is varied linearly with time, while the reference electrode maintains a constant potential. The counter electrode conducts electricity from the signal source to the working electrode. The purpose of the electrolytic solution is to provide ions to the electrodes during oxidation and reduction. A potentiostat is an electronic device which uses a dc power source to produce a potential which can be maintained and accurately determined, while allowing small currents to be drawn into the system without changing the voltage. The current-to-voltage converter measures the resulting current, and the data acquisition system produces the resulting voltammogram.