Assembly of a Robust and Economical MnO2-Based Reference Electrode

There is a dearth of base-stable reference electrodes that are suitable for use by students in a teaching laboratory or undergraduate research context. To remedy this, we have developed a technique to produce reference electrodes suitable for alkaline environments. By utilizing components of a commercially available alkaline-type battery, an engineered MnO2/MnO(OH) cathode that is both stable and reproducible is readily obtained. The electrode potentials are quite stable with respect to time and depend on the state of charge of the battery used to make the electrode. The assembly and use of such reference electrodes easily lends itself to introductory electrochemistry lab experiments at a fraction of the cost of traditional electrodes.