Highly functional bipolar electrochemical devices with high performance

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18H02001
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 34020:Analytical chemistry-related
• Research Institution: University of Tsukuba
• Principal Investigator: Suzuki Hiroaki 筑波大学, 数理物質系, 教授 (20282337)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: バイポーラ電気化学 / 銀／塩化銀 / イオン感応膜 / 金属接続 / クーロメトリー / マイクロフルイディクス

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Bipolar electrochemistry is a new electrochemical technique that features generation of potential difference between a solution and electrically isolated electrodes (bipolar electrode) that are not connected to any external instruments. By forming Ag/AgCl or an ion-selective membrane on a part of the bipolar electrodes, the interfacial potential differences of the parts were fixed and redox reactions on both poles could be controlled. The technique was also used to connect solutions in microfabricated electrochemical systems using metal connections, which can be a basis in creating more advanced integrated electrochemical microfluidic devices. The metal connection was also effective in improving the sensitivity of a coulometric device that features detection of silver deposited accompanying the oxidation of an analyte.

Free Research Field

化学センサ、マイクロフルイディクス

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

従来の３電極系と比べ、バイポーラ電気化学系は多数の分子の一括同時検出に有利であるが、その基本的挙動については未知のところが多かった。本研究では、従来の研究から一歩踏み込んで、バイポーラ電極の挙動をより詳細に解析し、これまで知られていなかった性質を明らかにした。本研究では、電気的に浮いたバイポーラ電極上の界面電位制御を試みたが、これは検出感度の向上等、バイポーラ系の高性能化に有利である。また、この研究を通じて、従来の液絡接続に代わる金属接続という手法が新たに生み出されたが、これは高度な電気化学／マイクロフルイディクデバイスを構築する上での基盤となりうる。