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Potentials of Common Reference Electrodes

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What's New? The following tables give the potentials of several commonly used reference
electrodes. Various filling solutions are listed where data was available. Note
that the nature and concentration of the filling solution can dramatically change
Electrochemistry the potential! When you look through the scientific literature, be sure the
Resources author has specified the filling solution!
CONTENTS

If you are confused about converting from one reference electrode to another,
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CONTENTS

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Calomel Hg/Hg2Cl2
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Silver-silver chloride Ag/AgCl
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Mercury-mercury oxide Hg/HgO
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Mercury-mercurous sulfate Hg/Hg2SO4

Copper-copper sulfate Cu/CuSO4

Non-aqueous
Notes:

1. In some cases, two slightly different potentials are listed for the same
electrode/filling solution. Some of the values are 'standard potentials' or
potentials of cells without liquid junction. Other values ('LJ' in tables,
below) are for cells which include a liquid junction potential.
2. Values in italics have been calculated from the suitable (LJ or non-LJ)
potentials in these tables. Other values have been taken directly from the
reference cited.

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Calomel:

Hg2Cl2(s) + 2e- == 2Hg(liq) + 2Cl-

Potential @ 25° Liq LIT

Jct ? REF
vs. NHE vs. SCE
0.3337 0.0925 1,3
Hg/Hg2Cl2, KCl (0.1M)
0.336 0.092 LJ 2
Hg/Hg2Cl2, KCl (1M) 0.2801 0.0389 1,3
NCE (Normal Calomel) 0.283 0.039 LJ 2
Hg/Hg2Cl2, KCl (3.5M) 0.250 0.006 LJ 2
Hg/Hg2Cl2, KCl (sat'd) 0.2412 0 1,3
SCE (Sat'd Calomel) 0.244 0 LJ 2
Hg/Hg2Cl2, NaCl
(sat'd) 0.2360 -0.0052 1
Bard calls this SSCE

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Potentials at other temperatures are also available online.

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Silver / silver chloride:

AgCl(s) +e- == Ag(s) + Cl-

Potential @ 25° Liq LIT

Jct ? REF
vs. NHE vs. SCE
Ag/AgCl, KCl (0.1M) 0.2881 0.047 3
Ag/AgCl, KCl (3M) 0.210 -0.032 10
Ag/AgCl, KCl (3.5M) 0.205 -0.039 LJ 2
0.197 -0.045 1
Ag/AgCl, KCl (sat'd) 0.199 -0.045 LJ 2
0.1988 -0.042 2
Ag/AgCl, NaCl (3M) 0.209 -0.035 LJ 8
Ag/AgCl, NaCl (sat'd) 0.197 -0.047 LJ 3
Ag/AgCl,Seawater 0.25 0.01 9

More information about the Ag/AgCl Ref. Electrode.

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Mercury / mercury oxide:

HgO(s) + H2O + 2e- == Hg(liq) + 2OH-

Potential @ 25° Liq LIT

Jct ? REF
vs. NHE vs. SCE
Hg/HgO, NaOH (0.1F) 0.165 -0.076 3
Hg/HgO, NaOH (1F) 0.140 ? -0.101 ? 3
Hg/HgO, KOH (20%) 0.098 ? ? 6

More information about the Hg/HgO Ref. Electrode is available.

A mercury/mercury oxide electrode is commercially available from
Koslow Scientific.

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Mercury / mercurous sulfate:

Hg2SO4 + 2e- == 2Hg(liq) + SO4-2

Potential @ 25° Liq LIT

Jct ? REF
vs. NHE vs. SCE
Hg/Hg2SO4, H2SO4 0.68 0.44 1
(0.5M) 0.682 0.441 3

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Hg/Hg2SO4, H2SO4
(1M)
0.64 0.40 1
Hg/Hg2SO4, K2SO4 0.658 0.414 LJ 2
(sat'd) @ 22°C @ 22°C

0.65 0.41 3

Abbreviated "MSE" - unspecified sulfate concentration.

A mercury/mercurous sulfate electrode is commercially available from
Koslow Scientific.

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Copper-copper sulfate:

Cu+2 + 2e- == Cu(s)

Potential @ 25° Liq LIT

Jct ? REF
vs. NHE vs. SCE
Cu/CuSO4 (sat'd) +0.316 0.074 LJ 7

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Non-Aqueous:

Ag+ + e- == Ag(s)

Potential @ 25° Liq LIT

Jct ? REF
vs. NHE vs. SCE
Ag/AgNO3 (0.01M) in 0.3
-na- LJ 3
MeCN vs aq SCE

Ag/AgNO3 (0.1M) in 0.36

-na- LJ 4
MeCN vs aq SCE

MeCN = acetonitrile

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REFERENCES:

(1) "Electrochemical Methods: Fundamentals and Applications", AJ Bard & LR Faulkner, John
Wiley & Sons, NY (2000). See the table on inside back cover.
(2) "Electrochemistry for Chemists, Second Edition", DT Sawyer, AJ Sobkowiak, J Roberts, Jr.,
John Wiley & Sons, NY (1995). See Section 5.2.
(3) "Handbook of Analytical Chemistry", L Meites, ed., McGraw Hill, NY (1963). See Sect 5.
(4) Calculated assuming 60 mV change from 0.01M value.
(5) "Reference Electrodes, Theory and Practice", DJG Ives & GJ Janz, Academic Press, NY (1961).
(6) http://www.koslow.com/meroxide.html
(7) "Reference Electrodes (Half-Cells)", J Lichtenstein, Materials Performance, Oct., 2001, p.68.
(8) http://www.bioanalytical.com/products/ec/faqele.html#Ref_Type
(9) http://www.corrosion-doctors.org/References/Potential.htm

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(10) EP Friis, JET Anderson, LL Madsen, N Bonander, Per Moller, J Ulstrup, Electrochim. Acta, 43
(1998), 1114-1122.

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All rights reserved. Updated 11/06/2008 14:21:42.

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