Simultaneous multimode experiments for studies of electrochemical reaction mechanisms: demonstration of concept.

An instrumental setup has been configured for a simultaneous real time recording of electrochemical, spectroelectrochemical, and mass data on an electrode from a single measurement for studies of complex electrochemical reaction mechanisms. This was achieved by combining a few pieces of equipment: a potentiostat/galvanostat for electrochemical measurements, the near-normal incidence reflectance spectrometer for spectroelectrochemical measurements, and a quartz crystal analyzer (QCA) for mass changes on the electrode. The latter two were coupled through a bifurcated optical fiber on the reflective QCA electrode.