Performance of a platinum thin film working electrode in a chemical sensor

In this work a 100 nm thick platinum thin film was utilized in the construction of a working electrode for use with the two-phase solid electrolyte Ag2SO4-Li2SO4 in a sulfur oxide sensor. The use of a discontinuous thin film of platinum on the surface of the two-phase solid electrolyte resulted in a high density of triple phase boundary sites not possible with the typical platinum mesh electrode. This electrode structure also ensured that the sensor responded quickly and reversibly to concentrations of SO2 in air. In addition, a thick film Ag:Ag2SO4-Li2SO4 reference electrode was incorporated in the sensor design. The performance of the sensor is reported along with micrographs of the working electrode structure. (c) 2006 Published by Elsevier B.V.