Ease of modification and minimal area are required for the experimental setup. A minimum electrolyte or analyte volume is sufficient. Surface polishing is not necessary. Ease of customization and design of portable sensing devices.

The drawback of SPEs compared to GCE is that SPE is not as effective with gas samples, and the repeatability of electrodes raises concerns. We are unable to proceed with bulk electrolysis.

• The most often and convenient method to clean SPE is using an H2O2 solution and performing multiple Cyclic Voltammetry cycles at a low sweep speed.
• Carbon-based SPE electrodes are washed with ethanol followed by soaking it in 0.01 M hydrochloric acid solution.
• For cleaning gold and platinum-based SPE electrodes, the negative sweeping method is preferred as it increases the roughness of the electrode surface.

Different techniques are used to clean SPE, depending on SPE surface type and level of contamination. The cleaning may be further divided into three types:

1. Chemical cleaning methods (using solvents).
   • Piranha solution (owing to strong aggression, not preferred).
   • Aqua regia
2. Thermal cleaning method:
   • UV ozone cleaning
3. Electrochemical cleaning methods (using cyclic voltammetry (CV) and Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) technique)
   • KOH sweep method.
   • Potential cycling using H2SO4 or HCl.
   • CV sweeping using potassium ferricyanide.
   • Taking negative sweeping potential (using CV technique).

After placing the sample in the electrode proper adhesion is required, drying can be done at room temperature or by using oven or UV lamps.

Yes, effective cleaning helps to improve the binding properties of the materials and enhance electrochemical performance by increasing surface area.

The counter electrode (CE) in SPE is made up of carbon ink because of its low cost and inertness. The main purpose of the CE is to maintain electrical neutrality, which helps complete the circuit.

The working electrode (WE) is usually made up of silver, gold, or other metal inks based on the application or target analyte, as it must be sensitive to analyte concentration.

Silver and silver chloride mixture ink is commonly used to print Reference Electrodes (RE) because of their low cost and easy availability. These silver/silver chloride inks are good conductors, and they are very stable in various electrochemical conditions.

SPEs are extensively used for electrochemical sensing applications because of their accuracy, sensitivity, and reproducibility.

These are inexpensive to mass-produce and they can be used as basic transducers. Additionally, they come in a variety of shapes including a ring, a disc, or a band for different applications.

SPEs are widely used in electrochemical analysis by researchers, scientists, industrialists, and quality control analysts to develop electrochemical sensors, point-of-care devices for biomedical applications and environmental monitoring.