PVA hydrogel as polymer electrolyte for electrochemical impedance analysis on archaeological metals

The development of an electrochemical cell based on poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) hydrogel as polymer electrolyte for electrochemical impedance spectroscopy analysis (EIS) is discussed. PVA hydrogel is prepared with different cycles of freeze/thawing (F/T) employing distillated and mineral water as solutions. The PVA-disks obtained are compared for their conductivities in order to employ it in an appropriate cell for diagnostic purposes, reducing the invasiveness of the analysis on the sample. The test of the self-consistent disk of PVA is carried out on a modern sample of copper and on an archaeological bronze coin, obtaining an alternative of the classical electrochemical cell for EIS measurements on ancient metals.