Electrochemical Detection of Single Aqueous Droplets in Organic Solvents via Pitting Collisions

We report a novel detection method for single aqueous droplets in organic solvents by the collisional contact of the droplet, inducing the partial deformation of the ultramicroelectrode (UME) surface. For various chemical reactions in organic solvents, water impurities affect the catalytic activity, leading to a loss of productivity and selectivity. Therefore, it is necessary to monitor the water content of organic solvents in real time between many chemical production processes, from the laboratory to the industrial scale. Our method enables the detection of water contamination by real-time monitoring of the electrochemical signals or observing morphological changes in the microelectrode. When an aqueous droplet collides with the UME, the contact area of the electrode is electrolyzed, forming pits on the surface where the droplet falls. Current transient analysis shows a unique current spike corresponding to the reaction inside the adsorbed single aqueous droplet, which differs from those detected by the faradaic/nonfaradaic reaction of collision of other particles. Moreover, this analytical method can record the history of collision events from pits on the UME surface, implying that inspecting the UME surface could be a quick screening method for solvent contamination. Based on a comparison of the electrochemical signals and morphological changes of the electrode after each event, the sizes of the pits and droplets are related. A COMSOL simulation is performed to explain the shape of the peak current and pit formation during collision events. This experimental concept elucidates the dynamic behavior of aqueous droplets on a positively biased metal electrode.