Study of the Application of Gel Electrolyte in the Reference Electrode of $Cu/CuSO_4$

With nano-$SiO_2$ and sulphate acid, a kind of colloid electrolyte is synthesized by sol-gel method. It is placed outside the reference electrode as a layer of gel electrolyte so as to decrease the leaching of $Cu^{2+}$ and increase the life of the reference electrode. The performance of the gel electrode in simulating soil solution is measured as follows: the potential of the electrodes ranging from 60 mV to 80 mV (vs. SCE) with potential variation no more than $\pm10mV$, enough resistance to polarization. The $Cu^{2+}$ effusion rate of the reference electrode without gel electrolyte is 3 times that with colloid electrolyte, which means that gel electrolyte can extend the life of the reference electrode significantly.