N-heterocyclic carbene–silver complex as a novel reference electrode in electrochemical applications

We demonstrate a novel reference electrode material namely an organometallic silver complex e.g., silver (I) tetramethylbis(benzimidazolium) diiodide [1a] for both acid and alkaline electrolysis. The potential usage of the silver complex as a reference electrode with at least equal electrochemical capabilities compared to those of the conventional electrode materials (e.g., Hg/HgO in alkaline media and Ag/AgCl in acidic media) are also demonstrated using cyclic voltammetry. In addition, the well dispersed surface morphology and fine crystalinity of the silver complex is investigated using field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD).