Correcting the polarization effect in low frequency Dielectric Spectroscopy

TL;DR

This paper introduces a straightforward method to measure and correct electrode polarization effects in low frequency dielectric spectroscopy, enabling more accurate analysis of colloids and live cell suspensions.

Contribution

A novel, assumption-free technique for directly measuring polarization impedance and a protocol for correcting polarization effects in dielectric spectroscopy measurements.

Findings

Method effectively measures polarization impedance across a wide frequency range.

Correction protocol improves the accuracy of dielectric spectroscopy data.

Potential to resolve alpha-dispersion in live cell suspensions.

Abstract

We demonstrate a simple and robust methodology for measuring and analyzing the polarization impedance appearing at interface between electrodes and ionic solutions, in the frequency range from 1 to $10^6$ Hz. The method assumes no particular behavior of the electrode polarization impedance and it only makes use of the fact that the polarization effect dies out with frequency. The method allows a direct and un-biased measurement of the polarization impedance, whose behavior with the applied voltages and ionic concentration is methodically investigated. Furthermore, based on the previous findings, we propose a protocol for correcting the polarization effect in low frequency Dielectric Spectroscopy measurements of colloids. This could potentially lead to the quantitative resolution of the $\alpha$-dispersion regime of live cells in suspension.