In this work we put forward an optimized electroanalytical method for the determination of water in
room temperature ionic liquids (RTILs) based on the reduction of a gold oxide layer prepared by
chronoamperometry on gold electrodes under the presence of trace water. Linear sweep, differential
pulse and square wave voltammetries were compared as stripping techniques, and the chronoampero-
metric growth of the gold oxide layer was studied and optimized, confirming the formation of up to three
monolayers of AuO on the surface of the working electrode. For [C2mim][NTf2], dried for 12 h at 60 C,
concentrations of water of 110.54.6 ppm, a sensitivity of
ip,c/C = (10.90.4)107 A ppm1, a
LOD = 3.3 ppm and a LOQ = 11.0 ppm were found using the proposed CSSWV method