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Updated: Jun 2, 2026

In Situ Lithiated Reference Electrode: Four Electrode Design for In-operando Impedance Spectroscopy
Published on: September 12, 2018
Note: electrode polarization of Galinstan electrodes for liquid impedance spectroscopy
Brett L Mellor1, Nathan A Kellis, Brian A Mazzeo
1Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Brigham Young University, 459 Clyde Building, Provo, Utah 84602, USA. brettmellor@byu.edu
Abstract:
Electrode polarization is a significant obstacle in the impedance measurements of ionic liquids. An atomically smooth electrode surface could potentially reduce unwanted impedance contributions from electrode polarization. Liquid metal electrodes were formed by adhering Galinstan to acrylic plates in a parallel-plate capacitor arrangement. Electrode polarization was compared to a similar cell with stainless steel electrodes. The impedance of salt and protein solutions (β-lactoglobulin) was measured from 40 Hz to 110 MHz. Because of oxide layer formation, the performance of the Galinstan electrode is significantly different than the theoretical ideal.
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