Non-aqueous chip performance
EC-MS Technical Note #5: step-by-step QMS peak and EM voltage tuning in PV MassSpec, with signal examples from a well-tuned system.
Best practices using EC‐MS system for HER
EC-MS Technical Note #17 outlines best practices for studying the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) with a Spectro Inlets EC-MS system: choosing aqueous vs. non-aqueous chips, calibrating for accurate faradaic efficiency and TOF quantification, consulting Pourbaix diagrams for catalyst stability, proper cleaning procedures, matching scan rate to bandwidth filter, and using potentiostatic measurements with H₂ calibration to characterize HER activity.
Best practices for OER experiments
EC-MS Technical Note #16 covers best practices for oxygen evolution reaction (OER) experiments: choosing standard vs. non-aqueous chips, cleaning protocols, Pourbaix diagram considerations for catalyst stability, avoiding CO2/bicarbonate detection pitfalls in alkaline electrolyte, CV-based redox characterization, and potentiostatic methods (including SPEIS stepping) for accurate faradaic efficiency quantification.
Air‐free transfer from a glovebox
Standardized EC-MS benchmark measurements for Pt-Poly and glassy carbon electrodes — CV and chronopotentiometry procedures covering HER, OER, and CO2 oxidation, with M2 signal decay half-lives (~3.8 s for Pt-Poly) for validating system cleanliness and performance.
Potentiostat instability
EC-MS Technical Note #3: how capacitive EC-cells cause potentiostat instability in CV measurements, and how to fix it with a series resistor and post-measurement iR compensation.
Benchmark Measurements
EC-MS Technical Note #2: standardized cyclic voltammetry and chronopotentiometry benchmark measurements on Pt-Poly and GC electrodes, with expected M2 decay half-lives.
Gas Pulses
Learn how to send Ar and He gas pulses through the EC-MS gas exchange system with minimal switching time. Covers the step-by-step MFC and valve sequence, plus expected switching times — roughly 20 seconds from He to Ar, and 50 seconds from Ar to He.
Avoiding MS‐Signal Fluctuations Caused by Bubbles
A detailed troubleshooting guide for identifying and preventing MS signal fluctuations caused by bubbles — covering electrolyte injection defects, cell (re)mounting steps, pressure set-point tuning, and how to distinguish bubble-related M28/M32/M40 spikes from normal signals.
Non-aqueous chip performance
EC-MS Technical Note #4: how non-aqueous chips perform in IPA, THF, and KOH — CV and chronopotentiometry comparisons against standard chips.
Soft ionization
This technical note explains soft ionization in EC-MS — operating at low electron energies (15–22 eV) to minimize fragmentation — and shows how it separates the NH₃ signal from water’s overlapping OH⁺ fragment at m/z=17, plus step-by-step guidance for safely adjusting ionization parameters in PV MassSpec.