Reference electrodes help decode electrolysis cell behavior

A live webinar will be held on 18 November 2026, where scientists will explain how combining reference electrodes with electrochemical impedance spectroscopy can help scientists understand what happens inside electrolysis cells. The session, available at 6 p.m. GMT / 1 p.m. EST, is intended for researchers who need practical guidance on how to set up and interpret measurements. The presenters, Ken Hansen and Lena Beuhre, will walk participants through the benefits of using reference electrodes in different electrolysis applications.

Reference electrodes in electrolysis

A reference electrode is a special electrode that provides a stable reference potential, allowing the voltage at a working electrode to be measured accurately. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measures how the cell resists alternating current at different frequencies, revealing information about charge transfer and mass transport. Together, the two techniques can assign overpotentials and degradation processes to specific electrodes. However, placing reference electrodes in cells with solid electrolytes is tricky, and the measurements are sensitive to mechanical perturbations and noise.

During the webinar the team will demonstrate a representative setup for a proton‑exchange membrane water electrolyser (PEMWE) and show how perturbations and noise can distort the impedance data. They will explain that such artefacts often arise from the reference electrode geometry and from the high‑pressure gas environment. To address these problems, the speakers will propose a filtering method that removes the noise and restores interpretable results.

Hansen and Beuhre's background

Ken Hansen and Lena Beuhre first collaborated during their postdoctoral research at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, where they published a short communication on reference electrodes and EIS. Hansen had experience with carbon‑capture CO₂ reduction cells, while Beuhre had worked on water electrolysers. Later, they joined the H₂ NEW consortium, focusing on anode catalyst development and degradation studies in segmented cells. Today, Hansen works on advanced diagnostics for CO/CO₂ reduction devices, and Beuhre leads a research group on electrochemical energy conversion in Hannover.