Electrochemistry of neural stimulation: Comparison of P-C method with traditional techniques for determining safe ranges of electrode potential

The cathodic potentials at which oxygen reduction and hydrogen evolution begin on gold wire electrodes in phosphate-buffered saline were compared using slow cyclic voltammetry (slow CV), pulse-clamp experiments, and potential transients. The results of this study show that the potential magnitudes at which oxygen reduction and hydrogen evolution occur are significantly higher than those predicted by slow CV and are difficult to determinefrom potential transients.