Revision # 1

Department of Chemistry
University of Santo Tomas SOP # 1
2 CHEM 1
Title Potentiostat

Page # 1 of 2 Last Reviewed/Update Date

SOP Owner Pascua, Kent; Perales, Kent Approval

Standard Operating Procedure for Potentiostat

1. Purpose
The purpose of this Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) is to establish the proper
procedures pertaining for setting up and performing electrical impedance spectroscopy (EIS)
experiments using the eDAQ potentiostat.

2. Scope
The intended audiences for the SOP are the students taking up laboratory units.  The
potentiostat mainly controls the potential of an electrode while measuring the current
flowing through the electrode. Some real-life applications where potentiostat is often used
are DC power supplies which are used for galvanization (the deposition of metals on
conducting materials, often other metals).

3. Summary of the Method

Cyclic voltammetry requires the use of a working (often gold, platinum, or glassy carbon),
reference (often Ag/AgCl) and auxiliary (often a platinum coil) electrodes. Use the
appropriate electrode materials for the experiment. Experiments generally run in solutions
of high ionic strength that is maintained using supporting electrolytes to avoid complications
of migration. Common supporting electrolytes are 0.1 M KCl or KNO3. The condition of the
working electrode surface has a large impact on the quality of results. Use appropriate
polishing techniques. Connect the leads of the eDAQ potentiostat as follows: Green to
working Electrode, Red to Auxiliary Electrode and Red to Reference Electrode. 

4. Definitions

1. Working Electrode. Half reaction of interest occurs.

2. Reference Electrode. Maintains the constant potential.

3. Auxiliary Electrode. Other half reaction occurs.

5. Procedure
Instrument Start-up Procedure

1. Connect the external potentiostat to the Electrochemical Impedance Analyzer (EIA)

as follows:
a. Potentiostat Ein > Z100 Sig Out
b. Potentiostat Iout > Z100 Iin
c. Potentiostat Eout > Z100 Ein
 2. Connect the Potentiostat to the EIA Z100 Bus port cable.
3. Connect the Z100 EIA to the CPU via a USB cable
4. Plug the Z100 to a 220VAC outlet and switch on.
5. Switch on the computer

Preparing the Instrument for a Measurement

1. Run the Z100 Navigator Program

2. Run the Sample Analysis.
a. Make sure that the “Loopback” is unchecked from the Device Menu Tab
b. Select Potentiostat EIS from the Experimental Menu. A display window of the
parameters will appear. Set the parameters as needed.
c. Click “Run”

Instrument Shut-down Procedure

1. Be sure that all electrodes have been disconnected and rinsed with distilled-deionized
water.
2. Power the instrument off.

6. References
Chemlab.truman.edu. (2015). Standard operating procedure for cyclic voltammetry using
the eDAQ potentiostat and electrochemical analysis system.
Retrieved from http://chemlab.truman.edu/files/2015/07/SOP-for-eDAQ-
potentiostat.pdf

Reference Guide for Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (eDAQ)