Patent ID: 8679408

Claim:
An apparatus for measuring carbon in a sample composition, comprising: a reaction chamber comprising a gas space and a sample space, wherein the sample space is configured to contain a sample composition comprising an aqueous solution comprising carbon; two, and no more than two, electrodes configured to contact with the sample composition, wherein the two electrodes comprise a first electrode, wherein the first electrode comprises a substrate coated with a diamond-like material that is doped with a doping material, wherein each of the two electrodes is adapted and configured to electrochemically oxidize carbon in the sample composition to carbon dioxide, wherein the two electrodes are electrically activated as a pair, wherein the two electrodes are electrically isolated, and wherein either one of the two electrodes is a working electrode; and a means for detecting gas-phase carbon dioxide in the gas space, wherein the means for detecting gas-phase carbon dioxide in the gas space is directly connected to the reaction chamber, and a sealed system, wherein the sealed system comprises the means for detecting gas-phase carbon dioxide, the reaction chamber and the two electrodes.