Introduction
The compliance voltage of a potentiostat is the maximum voltage that the potentiostat can
apply to the counter electrode in order to control the desired voltage in the electrochemical
cell. The compliance voltage is generally measured as the difference between the counter
electrode and the working electrode. Most potentiostat manufacturers include the compliance
voltage as one of the significant specifications in their data sheets.
Compliance voltage is one specification that users consider when purchasing a potentiostat.
Although it is tempting to think “the higher the better,” a high compliance voltage is not
without its price. The higher the compliance voltage is, the more power that the potentiostat
requires. Higher power means more complexity, more weight, and generally higher cost. The
frugal electrochemist asks, “How much compliance voltage do I really need?”