A pH-sensitive RuO₂ electrode coated in a commercial cyanoacrylate adhesive typically exhibits very low pH sensitivity, and could be paired with a RuO₂ working electrode as a differential type pH sensor. However, such sensors display poor performance in real sample matrices. A pH sensor employing a RuO₂ pH-sensitive working electrode and a SiO₂-PVB junction-modified RuO₂ reference electrode is developed as an alternative high-performance solution. This sensor exhibits a performance similar to that of a commercial glass pH sensor in some common sample matrices, particularly, an excellent pH sensitivity of 55.7 mV/pH, a hysteresis as low as 2.7 mV, and a drift below 2.2 mV/h. The developed sensor structure opens the way towards the development of a simple, cost effective, and robust pH sensor for pH analysis in various sample matrices.
Keywords: differential-type pH sensor; polyvinyl butyral; ruthenium oxide; silicon dioxide; solid-state pH sensor.