Squarewave voltammetry (SWV) is a form of linear potential sweep voltammetry that uses a combined square wave and staircase potential applied to a stationary electrode. It has found numerous applications in various fields, including within medicinal and various sensing communities. History When first reported by Barker in 1957, the working electrode utilized was primarily a dropping mercury electrode (DME). When using a DME, the surface area of the mercury drop is constantly changing throughout the course of the experiment; for this reason, complex mathematical modeling was at times required in order to analyze collected electrochemical data. The squarewave voltammetric technique allowed for the collection of the desired electrochemical data within one mercury drop, meaning that the need for mathematical modeling to account for the changing working electrode surface area was no longer needed. In short, the introduction and development of this technique allowed for the rapid collection of reliable and easily reproducible electrochemical data using DME or SDME working electrodes. With continued improvements from many electrochemists (particularly the Osteryoungs), SWV is now one of the primary voltammetric techniques available on modern potentiostats. Theory In a squarewave voltammetric experiment, the current at a (usually stationary) working electrode is measured while the potential between the working electrode and a reference electrode is pulsed forward and backward at a constant frequency. The potential waveform can be viewed as a superposition of a regular squarewave onto an underlying staircase (see figure above); in this sense, SWV can be considered a modification of staircase voltammetry. The current is sampled at two times - once at the end of the forward potential pulse and again at the end of the reverse potential pulse (in both cases immediately before the potential direction is reversed). As a result of this current sampling technique, the contribution to the current signal resulting from capacitive (sometimes referred to as non-faradaic or charging) current is minimal. As a result of having current sampling at two different instances per squarewave cycle, two current waveforms are collected - both have diagnostic value, and are therefore preserved. When viewed in isolation, the forward and reverse current waveforms mimic the appearance of a cyclic voltammogram (which corresponds to the anodic or cathodic halves, however, is dependent upon experimental conditions). Despite both the forward and reverse current waveforms having diagnostic worth, it is almost always the case in SWV for the potentiostat software to plot a differential