Effect of Bubbling on the Potential of Reference Electrode

The method for the examination of gas/water interface electrokinetic behavior is developed. "Bubbling potential", i.e. the difference in the potential of the indicator electrode in the absence and presence of gas bubbles was measured. The indicator electrode is a reference electrode with the porous plug exposed to gas bubbles. The charged bubble in contact with the porous plug would affect the potential of the indicator electrode. However, electrodes, whose potential depends on the reversible interfacial reaction, would be relaxed due to the interfacial ionic equilibration and their potential will not be affected by the presence of bubbles. Measured Bubbling potentials are directly related to electrokinetic potentials. The proposed method is fast, accurate and reproducible so that it can be used for the examination of gas/water interfaces in different conditions. The isoelectric point of argon bubbles in the aqueous NaCl solution was obtained as pHiep = 3.9 and pHiep = 3.4 at ionic strength of 10 and 10 mol dm, respectively. (doi: 10.5562/cca2235)