Dynamic feedback regulation of the potential of a microfabricated liquid-junction Ag/AgCl reference electrode

A negative feedback mechanism to correct the deviation in the potential of a microfabricated Ag/AgCl electrode was developed using a nonstandard three-electrode system consisting of only thin-film Ag/AgCl electrodes. The reference electrode in the nonstandard three-electrode system was surrounded by a Ag/AgCl auxiliary electrode and provided a standard potential for other electrodes used for detection. With a constant potential applied to the Ag/AgCl working electrode with respect to the reference electrode, the shift of the reference electrode potential caused by a solution having different Cl− concentration flowing in a neighboring flow channel polarized the working electrode slightly. Because of the nonpolarizable nature of Ag/AgCl, the slight shift of the potential of the working electrode caused a rapid current increase, resulting in the recovery of Cl− concentration around the reference electrode. The effect of the feedback function was confirmed by comparing the results with those obtained from cases without the feedback function and from the potentiometric detection of Cl− ions in a solution flowing in a flow channel.