How to clean a screen printed electrode and the effect on the quality of cyclic voltammetry

by | Apr 7, 2025 | Uncategorized

In this video we show how to clean/activate a carbon screen printed electrode.

Screen printed electrodes
SIA Potentiostat

The Impact of Cleaning Screen-Printed Electrodes: A Demonstration

Introduction
In this post, we’ll explore three key experiments demonstrating the importance of electrode cleaning:

  1. Initial cyclic voltammetry (CV) of ferricyanide without cleaning

  2. Electrode cleaning process

  3. Post-cleaning CV measurement

This work was motivated by insightful questions about electrode preparation and its impact on electrochemical measurements.

Why Clean Screen-Printed Electrodes?
While conventional electrodes (glassy carbon, gold, platinum) are routinely cleaned, screen-printed electrodes (SPEs) often aren’t – despite their widespread use in biosensing applications.

At Zimmer & Peacock, we’ve consistently observed that proper cleaning significantly enhances SPE performance. Many researchers overlook this crucial step, potentially compromising their results.

Key Insight:
All electrode surfaces accumulate contaminants that can distort measurements. Just as we clean conventional electrodes, we should apply the same care to SPEs.

Experiment 1: Baseline Measurement
Setup:

  • Electrode: Commercial carbon SPE

  • Solution: 5 mM potassium ferricyanide

  • Parameters: -200 to +600 mV scan, 100 mV/s rate

Results:

  • Peak separation (ΔEp) ≈ 400 mV

  • Broad, poorly-defined peaks

  • Indicates significant surface contamination

Electrode Cleaning Protocol
Method:

  1. Gentle acid rinse (pH 2 sulfuric acid)

  2. Electrochemical cleaning (-1.0 V to +1.0 V sweep)

  3. Thorough rinsing with DI water

This simple process effectively renews the electrode surface.

Post-Cleaning Results

  • ΔEp reduced to ≈ 150 mV

  • Sharper, more symmetrical peaks

  • Dramatic improvement in electron transfer kinetics

Performance Comparison

Condition ΔEp Peak Quality Signal Strength
Unclean 400mV Poor Low
Cleaned 150mV Excellent High

Practical Implications
While cleaning may not be practical for:

  • Disposable sensors

  • High-throughput applications

It’s absolutely essential for:

  • Research and development

  • Method optimization

  • Quality control

Conclusion
This demonstration clearly shows that proper electrode cleaning can transform SPE performance. We recommend establishing a cleaning protocol as standard practice in electrochemical research.

Experimental Setup

  • SenseItAll Potentiostat (cloud-enabled)

  • Djuli data analysis platform

For more information or questions, please visit [your URL]. Happy researching! 🔬