Voltammetric multichannel measurements using silicon fabricated microelectrode arrays

A modular voltammetric multichannel detection system has been developed for use in flow analysis. Two different types of multichannel potentiostats, an adjustable and a ground‐fixed potentiostat, are realized. Both types work with up to sixteen independent working electrodes at one chip electrode array and are controlled through a personal computer and a microcontroller. Simultaneous difference pulse and cyclic voltammetric procedures are realized. Platinum thin‐film array electrodes have been arranged on silicon wafers as pairs of interdigitated microband electrodes (interdigitated array electrodes; IDA) with an interelectrode gap in the submicrometer range. Furthermore the multichannel electrodes in a flow system were used to characterize the highly sensitive flow profiles and flow rate measurements using redox mediators. A brief description of applying the multichannel device for ‘window’ stripping of heavy metals is given.