Guide

What is a portable potentiostat? A practical guide for field electrochemistry

VidyuthLabs · 14 October 2026

A potentiostat is the instrument at the heart of electrochemical analysis. A portable potentiostat puts that instrument in your hand, so you can measure where the sample is instead of carrying the sample to a lab.

How a potentiostat works

Most electrochemical measurements use three electrodes in contact with the sample:

• Working electrode (WE): where the reaction you want to measure takes place.
• Reference electrode (RE): a stable reference that the working electrode's potential is measured against.
• Counter electrode (CE): completes the circuit so current can flow without disturbing the reference.

The potentiostat holds or sweeps the potential of the working electrode relative to the reference, and measures the current that flows between the working and counter electrodes. That current depends on what is in the sample and how much of it there is. Plotting current against potential or time gives a signal you can identify and quantify.

The techniques that matter in the field

Cyclic voltammetry (CV)

The potential is swept up and back down while current is recorded. CV is the standard way to characterise an electrode and a redox system: where reactions happen, whether they are reversible, and whether a sensor surface is behaving as expected.

Differential pulse voltammetry (DPV)

Small potential pulses are superimposed on a slow ramp, and the current is sampled just before and at the end of each pulse. Subtracting the two suppresses background current, which makes DPV far more sensitive than CV and well suited to trace analysis.

Anodic stripping voltammetry (ASV)

Used for heavy metals. Metal ions are first reduced and deposited onto the electrode for a fixed time, concentrating them at the surface. A potential scan, often using DPV or square-wave waveforms, then strips them back into solution. Each metal strips at a characteristic potential, and the peak size relates to its concentration.

Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS)

A small AC signal is applied over a range of frequencies and the impedance is measured. EIS reveals how charge moves at the electrode surface, which makes it useful for biosensors, coatings, corrosion and checking sensor quality.

Benchtop vs portable potentiostats

Benchtop potentiostats are powerful and flexible, but they are heavy, need a computer and mains power, and stay in the lab. A portable potentiostat trades some of that flexibility for things that matter outside a lab:

• Battery power and a size that fits in a pocket or a field kit.
• A built-in screen or a phone app, so no laptop is needed.
• Wireless data transfer and export for record keeping.
• Disposable screen-printed electrodes, so each test starts on a fresh, consistent surface.

What to look for when choosing one

• Techniques: at minimum CV and DPV; EIS if you work on biosensors or surface characterisation.
• Current range and resolution: trace analysis needs low-current sensitivity.
• Sensor compatibility: a standard connector for screen-printed electrodes makes it easy to change applications.
• Software: clear results for non-specialists, with raw data available for experts.
• Connectivity and storage: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or USB to move results off the device.
• Cost per test: the instrument price matters, but so does the price of each sensor.

AnalyteX: our portable potentiostat

AnalyteX is the handheld potentiostat we are building at VidyuthLabs. It has a 2.8-inch touchscreen, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth Low Energy and USB, and runs CV, DPV and EIS. It pairs with NanoX screen-printed electrodes, each coated with a nanomaterial chosen for a specific test, and a mobile app that turns raw signals into clear results. One device covers many applications: you change the sensor, not the instrument.