Reference Electrode Stability Tracker
An Excel Template for Monitoring and Documenting Reference Electrode Stability
Biosensor developers have a lot to think about at any one time… From designing robust surface chemistries and accounting for matrix interferences, to optimising electrochemical parameters and maximising signal transduction. It’s easy for certain things to get overlooked.
In particular, reference electrodes (RE) often don’t get the attention they deserve. Everyone knows how important they are, but outside of fundamental electrochemistry research they can often be taken for granted.
However, a drifting or unstable RE can introduce errors of several millivolts, enough to blur real signals, compromise calibration curves, and undermine reproducibility.
When you are developing electrochemical biosensors the electrodes are often supplied in bulk from a manufacturer. While initial testing is common to ensure they are working as intended… monitoring of the RE can sometimes stop at this point. Harsh surface chemistries, successive fabrication steps, poor storage conditions, and repeated measurements can slowly take their toll on the RE’s stability.
To make things easier I have put together an Excel template with simple to follow instructions that allows you to calibrate, log, and track the stability of your reference electrodes in one place. With it, you can:
Create a convenient log of calibrations against a stable reference and track your REs over time
Log short-term OCP traces to spot drift within minutes
Track long-term performance across days or weeks of individual REs
Instead of creating your own measuring and tracking system from scratch, use this ready-made template. Share it with your colleagues, adapt it to your workflows, and refine it as needed. Beyond saving time, it also gives you the ability to look back through your records, see exactly when stability became an issue, and pinpoint what part of your workflow might be causing the problem.
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