Treatment rather than pretreatment: Electrochemical activation of electrodes for electroanalysis

• Published in: Microchemical journal Vol. 215; p. 114422
• Main Authors: Lv, Yitao, Yang, Ningxia, You, Minghui, Hao, Jinhua, Li, Juxiu, Zhang, Min
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 01.08.2025
• Subjects: Electroanalysis; Electrochemical activation; Electrochemical pretreatment; Electrode modification; Electrode modification; Electrochemical pretreatment; Electroanalysis; Electrochemical activation
• ISSN: 0026-265X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.microc.2025.114422

Electrochemical activation, a treatment that involves only electrolytes and potential application, has been demonstrated to alter the surface morphology and composition of electrode materials since the early days of electroanalysis, with these changes having been further characterized till now. However, its effect seems to be overlooked and is typically applied merely as a regular pretreatment without the establishment of the correlation with analysis. This review will focus on its “treatment” effect rather than “pretreatment”, presenting the various applications of electrochemical treatment in electrochemical sensors. We explore the fundamentals of electrochemical treatment, detailing how the electrolyte and potential application methods influence electrode properties. By establishing a connection between the structural changes of electrodes during electrochemical treatment and the enhancement of electroanalytical capabilities, we aim to provide a more profound explanation of the role of electrochemical treatment in electroanalysis. Finally, the prospects and challenges of electrochemical treatment using electroanalysis are discussed. [Display omitted] •Review on electrochemical activation used in electrode preparing for electroanalysis.•Electrochemical activation can occur at multiple stages of electroanalysis.•The mechanisms of electrochemical activation on different materials.•Dominant strategies of electrochemical activation for different analytes.