Application Finder

The TSC SW Closed and TSC Battery cells are compact systems designed for measurements on air or moisture-sensitive materials, such as those used in batteries. In this document, two testing procedures are explained. The first procedure is withpotentiostatic cyclic voltammetry (CV), while the second is via electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS).

The way low-impedance devices, like fuel cells and battery, are connected to a load influences their performances. In this document, a comparison of EIS results on a commercial Li-ion battery is shown. Different EIS measurements have been performed, changing the way the battery has been connected to the potentiostat.

Convolution voltammetry consists essentially of a voltammetric, chronoamperometric, or chronocoulometric experiment followed by a mathematical transformation - convolution. Using a convolution method, the effect of the decrease of the concentration gradient can be eliminated from the total response of the electrode. This application note explains how the convolution in NOVA works.

In order to calculate the conductivity of an electrolyte, the cell constant of the cell must be known. The combination of the Metrohm Autolab PGSTAT204 equipped with the FRA32M module in combination with the Autolab Microcell HC setup was used for the determination of the conductivity cell constants of TSC1600 temperature controlled electrochemical cell.

The proton conductivity of membranes made of a proton conductive material is an essential quantity to be determined. In this application note, we present the results of an exemplary study of σDC(T) determined by impedance spectroscopy for a novel solid proton conductor in its dry state.

The kinetic and mass transfer parameters of the electro-oxidation reaction of TEMPO were measured using the TSC Surface measuring cell for the Autolab Microcell HC system. The cell allows the study of electrochemical processes in liquid electrolytes in a three electrode configuration under temperature control.

The study of the electrochemical behavior of platinum in acidic media is of crucial importance in fundamental electrochemistry and electrocatalysis. Most electrocatalytic processes occurring at Pt electrodes are highly sensitive to the structure of the platinum surface. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) is a widely used rapid measurement technique that provides both a qualitative and quantitative fingerprint of platinum surfaces. A comparison of results given by linear and staircase CVs is presented in this Application Note.

Capacitors are electronic components necessary for the success of the electronics industry. They have also become essential components of both electric and hybrid vehicles. Electrochemical tests, such as potentiostatic cyclic voltammetry, are used to check the performance of capacitors. VIONIC powered by INTELLO can perform both staircase and linear cyclic voltammetries (CV). This Application Note gives a comparison between the linear and the staircase potentiostatic cyclic voltammetries and highlights the necessity of using the linear CV to best study the performance of capacitors.

Many different configurations are made possible when using two-, three-, or four-electrode cell setups in research. Depending on the experimental requirements, one setup may be preferred over another. Therefore, the proper electrode arrangements for these three situations are defined in this Application Note. As an example, the potential at the counter electrode is measured during the platinum oxidation in acidic media, with the second sense (S2) of VIONIC powered by INTELLO. Since dissolved Pt in solution could bias the results, it is important to be able to monitor the potential of the counter electrode.

In this Application Note, hydrogen permeation experiments are conducted following the procedure described in the ASTM standard G148.

In this Application Note, the electrochemical properties of electrodes with a micrometer-size surface area are compared with the electrochemical properties of electrodes with millimeter-size surface area. The comparison is made through cyclic voltammetry in a Fe3+/Fe2+ (ferro/ferri) solution, and the differences in the voltammograms are explained with the different diffusion profiles at the electrode-electrolyte interface.

This Application Note highlights the use of Metrohm Hyphenated EC-Raman Solutions to monitor the reversible oxidation of ferrocyanide at a gold electrode. Variations of the band intensities with the potential can be used to track relative changes in the concentration profile of ferrocyanide and ferricyanide at the surface of the electrode during cyclic voltammetry (CV).

The Devanathan-Stachurski cell (or «H cell») is successfully used to evaluate the permeation of hydrogen through sheets or membranes. As small amounts of hydrogen pass through the sheet or membrane, a very sensitive potentiostat is required for its detection. A study of the hydrogen permeation properties of different iron sheets is discussed in this Application Note while taking the instrumental requirements into account.

Advances in polymeric membranes and screen-printed technologies have enabled miniaturized, portable potentiometric sensors ideal for point-of-care analysis.

By using an enzymatic sensor with a screen-printed electrode, producers can measure lactic acid production, thereby monitoring fermentation processes.

This Application Note explains manual and automated iR drop correction with electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and cautions against using less accurate methods.

Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) is a widely used multidisciplinary technique for characterizing the behavior of complex electrochemical systems. EIS is employed in the study of a range of complex systems including batteries, catalysis, and corrosion processes. This Application Note focuses on the basic principles of EIS measurements.

A typical electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) experimental setup consists of an electrochemical cell, a potentiostat/galvanostat, and a frequency response analyzer (FRA). This Application Note introduces common EIS experimental setups as well as details of the main experimental parameters.

Here, the most common circuit elements for EIS are introduced which may be assembled in different configurations to obtain equivalent circuits used for data analysis.

Explore how to construct simple and complex equivalent circuit models for fitting EIS data in this Application Note. Nyquist plots are shown for each example.

In the application note AN-EIS-004 on equivalent circuit models, an overview of the different circuit elements that are used to build an equivalent circuit model was given. After identifying a suitable model for the system under investigation, the next step in the data analysis is estimation of the model parameters. This is done by the non-linear regression of the model to the data. Most impedance systems come with a data-fitting program. In this application note, the way NOVA is uses to fit the data is shown.

In this application note, the advantage of recording the raw time domain data for each individual frequency during an electrochemical impedance measurement is described.

Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) is a powerful technique which provides information about the processes occurring at the electrode-electrolyte interface. The data collected with EIS are modeled with a suitable electrical equivalent circuit. The fitting procedure will change the values of the parameters until the mathematical function matches the experimental data within a certain margin of error. In this Application Note, some suggestions are given in order to get acceptable initial parameters and to perform an accurate fitting.

This Application Note presents the Mott-Schottky measurement, an extension of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), on a popular semiconducting material.

A fuel cell is an electrochemical energy conversion device that produces electricity and heat by electrochemically combining a fuel (typically hydrogen) and an oxidant (typically oxygen). The higher efficiency also results in much lower carbon dioxide emissions and negligible amounts of SOx and NOx (when reformed fuel is used) compared with fossil fuel-based technologies for the same power output.

To overcome the various technical problems, many different fuel cell types have been developed. In this Application Note, proton exchange membrane, direct methanol and solid oxide fuel cells are discussed in more detail.

In this Application Note the use of Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) for the characterisation of PEM fuel will be demonstrated. It will be shown that EIS is a powerful diagnostic tool for the determination of the following factors that can influence the performance of a PEM fuel cell.

In this application note, a combination of PGSTAT and electronic load is use to perform electrochemical impedance spectroscopy in a fuel cell operating at high currents.

The use of impedance measurements on fuel cells under load makes it possible to study the influence of the different fuel cell elements on the behavior and (if detectable) on the ageing of the fuel cell. To perform high current density measurements, the Autolab systems can be connected to a third party electronic load. This extends the measurable range of the instrument by several current decades.

The operational behavior of a fuel cell stack is usually evaluated by determining the polarization and power density curves of the cell. These curves provide a quick characterization of the stack performance and an assessment of its optimal operating conditions (temperature, humidity, electrocatalyst, ion-exchange membrane).

In recent years, field-effect transistors (FETs) have become more commonly used as a sensing platform for a multitude of electrochemical and biological applications. These devices are promising bioelectronic transducers that allow both low-potential operation and stable potentiometric measurements. FETs are now seen as an attractive alternative to using conventional electrochemical detection systems in the scientific community. This Application Note gives in-depth guidance about how to operate Metrohm DropSens bipotentiostat devices for the characterization of FETs and their use as transducers. A single μStat-i 400 device, a small and portable bipotentiostat and galvanostat, is used to demonstrate the experiments.

In this Application Note, the Metrohm DropSens SPELEC instrument is used with the FLUORESCENCE KIT for time-resolved monitoring of electrochemical reactions in a semi-infinite diffusion regime by performing fluorescence spectroelectrochemistry of the [Ru(bpy)3]2+/3+ redox couple.

Alamar Blue is monitored with fluorescence spectroelectrochemistry during its irreversible reduction to resorufin and further reversible reduction to dihydroresorufin.

A solar cell or photovoltaic cell is a device that converts light energy into electrical energy. Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSC) are currently the subject of intense research in the context of renewable energies as a low-cost photovoltaic (PV) device. Electricity generated from a PV produces zero emissions, is modular, and can produce energy anywhere the sun shines. The standard characterization technique of a PV device consists in the determination of the DC current-voltage curves under different incident light intensities.

DC techniques do not provide any information about the internal dynamics of the PV device. Therefore, additional information can be obtained using time-dependent and frequency-dependent measurements. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy in particular, offers the possibility to investigate the behavior of the device in the frequency domain under operating conditions, at various light intensities.

Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSC) are currently subject of intense research in the framework of renewable energies as a low-cost photovoltaic (PV) device. To characterize photovoltaic devices, two additional frequency domain methods can be used, based on the modulation of the light intensity. These two methods are Intensity modulated photovoltage spectroscopy (IMVS): measurement of the transfer function between the modulated light intensity and the generated AC voltage, and Intensity modulated photocurrent spectroscopy (IMPS): measurement of the transfer function between the modulated light intensity and the generated AC current.This Application Note illustrates the use of the Metrohm Autolab PGSTAT302N equipped with a FRA32M module, in combination with the Autolab Optical Bench kit to perform IMVS and IMPS characterization of photovoltaic devices.

This application note shows how it is possible with Metrohm Autolab PGSTATs and the Metrohm Autolab Optical Bench, to retrieve information about the mechanism and the kinetics of the back reaction, a side reaction which limits the performances of dye-sensitized solar cells.

In this document, a procedure to calibrate the LED light of the Metrohm Autolab Optical Bench is presented. The procedure can be applied to the single-wavelength LED lights. Calibration is performed in order to relate the LED light intensity to the LED driver current. In this way, it is possible to correct the light intensity values when the distance between the solar cell under test and the LED light is changed. Additonally, the calibration allows the user to perform measurements on solar cells while specifying the light intensity values, instead of the LED driver current.

This Application Note presents the procedure to determine the responsitivity value for calibrating the white lights of the Metrohm Autolab Optical Bench.

Spectroelectrochemistry is a multi-response technique that provides both electrochemical and spectroscopic information about a chemical system in a single experiment, i.e., it offers information from two different points of view. Spectroelectrochemistry focused on the UV/VIS region is one of the most important combinations because this allows us to obtain not only valuable qualitative information, but also outstanding quantitative results. In this application note, the degradation kinetics for 4-nitrophenol, a known pollutant, were determined using SPELEC.

Spectroelectrochemistry is a multi-response technique that provides electrochemical and spectroscopic information about a chemical system in a single experiment, i.e., it offers information from two different points of view. Raman spectroelectrochemistry could be considered as one of the best techniques for both the characterization and behavioral understanding of carbon nanotube films, as it has traditionally been used to obtain information about their oxidation-reduction processes as well as the vibrational structure. This application note describes how the SPELEC RAMAN is used to characterize single-walled carbon nanotubes by studying their electrochemical doping in aqueous solution as well as to evaluate their defect density.

Many electrochemical methods have been developed but are traditionally limited to aqueous media. Raman spectroelectrochemistry in organic solutions is an interesting alternative, but developing new EC-SERS procedures is still required. This Application Note demonstrates that the electrochemical activation of gold and silver electrodes enables the detection of dyes and pesticides in organic media.

Fentanyl, a powerful synthetic opioid, is illegally distributed worldwide. Overdosing can be fatal, causing symptoms like stupor, pupil changes, cyanosis, and respiratory failure. Just 2 mg of fentanyl can be lethal, depending on factors like body size and past usage. Given its severe impact, identifying and detecting fentanyl is crucial, as it has become a major public health crisis. Combining electrochemical surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (EC-SERS) with screen-printed electrodes (SPEs) offers a fast, effective, and precise method for detecting fentanyl.

Low sensitivity has limited the use of Raman spectroscopy as a detection method. However, the surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) effect has improved its effectivity for analytical use. Aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) and cytochrome c are analyzed by Raman spectroelectrochemistry as a proof of concept in this Application Note.

This Application Note compares SPELEC RAMAN and a standard Raman instrument by analyzing their performance in measuring single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT).

EC-SERS enhances Raman sensitivity using electrochemically activated gold SPEs, enabling rapid, simplified pesticide detection without complex prep or instrumentation.

Electrochemical Raman (EC-Raman) spectroscopy enhances comprehension of energy storage devices by tracking physicochemical changes. This note details EC-Raman findings during nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) battery charge and discharge simulations.

Supercapacitors (also known as ultracapacitors, electrochemical capacitors, or double-layer capacitors) are electrochemical devices that have the ability to store and release charge and deliver high power densities over short periods of time. Their ability to store electrical energy efficiently and release electrical energy very quickly make them ideally suited for applications where short time backup power and peak power needs are critical.

Spectroelectrochemical experiments not only provide outstanding qualitative information about samples, but also offer other quantitative data that can be considered when performing analyses. A single set of experiments allows analysts to obtain two calibration curves: one with the electrochemical data and another with the spectroscopic information. The concentration of tested samples is calculated by using both curves, confirming the obtained results by two different routes. In this Application Note, comparison between electrochemical and spectroscopic determinations demonstrates that the two methods measure uric acid (UA) indistinctively, with close agreement of the calculated values with empirical data.

In-situ spectroelectrochemistry provides dynamic electrochemical and spectroscopic information concurrently with the redox reaction occurring on the electrode surface. Although different spectroelectrochemical configurations can be used, simple equations explain how to relate electrochemistry and spectroscopy for each experimental setup. This Application Note describes how the quantification of one electrochemical parameter (the diffusion coefficient) is calculated from the spectroscopic data as a proof of this concept.