A Low Cost‐Computer‐Controlled and Powered Multichannel Potentiostat for General Use in Development of Inexpensive Electrochemical Sensors

Abstract

Described herein, is an inexpensive 16‐channel potentiostat that is both controlled and powered by a PC multifunction data acquisition card. As an enabling example, the potentiostat was used to measure the extent for which insoluble manganese oxide powder will pre‐oxidize ascorbic acid in a phosphate buffered saline solution. This technique to reduce electroactive interferent species has recently been reported to be useful for enzyme‐based electrochemical sensors. Under the conditions studied, it was found that manganese oxide reduces both hydrogen peroxide and ascorbic acid to 20.6% and 27.2% of their original signal strength respectively. With another 4 minutes of exposure to the oxide, signals due to hydrogen peroxide and ascorbic acid dropped to 9.0% and 5.0%, respectively.

Keywords:

• Multichannel
• Potentiostat
• Electrochemical
• Sensor
• Ascorbic acid
• Interferent

Acknowledgments

The authors wish to thank the Bloomsburg University College of Science and Technology for support of this research.