Until now, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) gel cylinders have been used in electrolyte diodes
as a connecting element between the acidic and alkaline reservoirs. In this paper,
a new connecting element is reported: a breath figure templated polyvinyl butyral
(PVB) membrane prepared with dip-coating from a dichloromethane solution of the polymer
in a humid atmosphere. The procedure gives a 1.5-2 mu m thick membrane with a hexagonal
pattern, the average characteristic length of which is 1 mu m. After an acidic etching,
it was found to be a good connecting element. The voltage-current characteristics
and dynamic properties of PVA and PVB were measured and compared. The PVB membrane
has a faster response to voltage changes than the PVA gel, but in both cases, there
was a slow drift in the current that prevented it from reaching a steady state. Reproducible
characteristics can be obtained, however, after the current reaches a well-defined
quasi-steady state.
