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A new electroplated Ir/Ir(OH) x pH electrode and its application in the coastal areas of Newport Harbor, California

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Abstract

Resulting from the rising levels of atmospheric carbon, ocean acidification has become a global problem. It has significant impacts on the development, survival, growth and physiology of marine organisms. Therefore, a high-precision sensor is urgently needed to measure the pH of sea-water. Iridium wire with a diameter of 0.25 mm is used as the substrate, and an Ir/Ir(OH) x pH electrode is prepared by a one-step electrochemical method in a LiOH solution at the room temperature. A scanning electron microscope (SEM) observation reveals that it is coated with nanoscale particles. In laboratory tests, the electrode exhibits a very promising pH response, with an ideal Nernst slope (56.14–59.52), fast response, good stability and long life-span in tested pH buffer solutions. For a sea trial, four pH electrodes and one Ag/AgCl reference electrode are integrated with a self-made chemical sensor, and a profile detection of nearly 70 m is implemented near Newport Harbor, California on August 3, 2015. The results reflect that the pH value measured by the sensor is very close to the data given by Sea-Bird 911 plus CTD, with a difference value ranging from 0.000 075 to 0.064 719. And the sensor shows a better data matching degree in 0–40 m water depth. In addition, the high precision and accuracy of the sensor make it possible to use in the ocean observation field.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Ocean College, Zhejiang University, Zhoushan, 316000, China

    Xiao Zhang, Ying Ye, Yating Kan, Yuanfeng Huang, Jianjun Jia, Yue Zhao & Chen-Tung Arthur Chen

  2. Institute of Marine Geology and Chemistry, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung 80424, Taiwan, China

    Chen-Tung Arthur Chen

  3. School of Mechanical Engineering, Hangzhou Dianzi University, Hangzhou, 310018, China

    Huawei Qin

Authors
  1. Xiao Zhang
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  2. Ying Ye
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  3. Yating Kan
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  4. Yuanfeng Huang
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  5. Jianjun Jia
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  6. Yue Zhao
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  7. Chen-Tung Arthur Chen
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  8. Huawei Qin
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Huawei Qin.

Additional information

Foundation item: The Key Laboratory Project of State Oceanic Administration for Marine Ecosystem and Biogeochemistry of China under contract No. 529101-X21601; the Foundation from Wendy Schmidt Ocean Health XPRIZE and the Southern California Coastal Water Research Project.

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Zhang, X., Ye, Y., Kan, Y. et al. A new electroplated Ir/Ir(OH) x pH electrode and its application in the coastal areas of Newport Harbor, California. Acta Oceanol. Sin. 36, 99–104 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13131-017-1064-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13131-017-1064-5

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