Thin layer gas electrode and its application to measurement of dissolved oxygen

A novel thin layer cell equipped with thin layer gas electrode (TLGE) was studied as electrochemical gas sensor for the measurement of dissolved oxygen in water or aqueous solutions. The working electrode (TLGE) is a hydrophobic gas diffusing electrode placed between the cell electrolyte and the solution to be tested. The hydrophobic pores in TLGE serve as a gas chamber. After the sampling period, in which the partial pressure of dissolved oxygen in test solution becomes in equilibrium with that in the gas chamber, the TLGE is polarized with square wave or linear potential signal. Then the Faradaic charge (Q) consumed in depletion of the oxygen contained in pores of TLGE is measured. The main merits of this system are good linearity between the partial pressure of dissolved oxygen in test solution and Q, low zero-reading, negligible liquid-gas difference, convenient calibration and very low temperature coefficient (ca. 0.5%/°C). This technique can also be applied to the measurement of oxygen partial pressure in gas phases.