IUPAC - working potential range (09082)

working potential range

https://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.09082

Range of electrode potentials of a given working electrode in a given electrolyte, where the electric current from reactions of the electrode or electrolyte is negligible compared with the current from reactions of the system under investigation.

Notes:

Because the working potential range is a function of a specific electrode/electrolyte system, only approximate ranges can be given for generic systems. See table.
The working potential range is usually limited by the stability of the electrolyte, itself affected by the catalytic properties of the electrode, or by the stability of the electrode.

**Table 1** Examples of approximate working potential ranges of various electrode materials.
Electrode material	Potential range in given medium (vs $Ag \| AgCl \| 3 M KCl$ for aqueous systems). Note $1 M = 1 mol L^{- 1}$ .
$Pt$	$- 0.8$ to $+ 1.3 V$ in $NaOH$ ( $1 M$ ) 0 to $+ 1.7 V$ in $H_{2} SO_{4}$ ( $1 M$ ) range: $+ 4.7 V$ in ( $(C_{4} H_{9})_{4} NClO_{4}$ in acetonitrile ( $1 M$ ) range: $+ 5.3 V$ in 1-hexyl-3-methylimidazolium trifluorotris(pentafluoroethyl)phosphate
$Au$	$- 0.4$ to $+ 1.2 V$ in $H_{2} SO_{4}$ ( $1 M$ )
$C$	$- 1.0$ to $+ 1.0 V$ in $KCl$ ( $0.1 M$ ), 0 to $+ 2.0 V$ in $HClO_{4}$ ( $1 M$ )
$Hg$	$- 2.0$ to $+ 0.2 V$ in $NaOH$ ( $1 M$ ), $- 1.0$ to $+ 0.4 V$ in $H_{2} SO_{4}$ ( $1 M$ )
boron-doped diamond	$- 2.5$ to $+ 2.5 V$ in $0.1 M$ acetate buffer $pH 5$

Source:
PAC, 2020, 92, 641. (Terminology of Electrochemical Methods of Analysis (IUPAC Recommendations 2019)) on page 655 [Terms] [Paper]

Citation: 'working potential range' in IUPAC Compendium of Chemical Terminology, 5th ed. International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry; 2025. Online version 5.0.0, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1351/goldbook.09082 RIS BibTex EndNote

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working potential range