mass spectroscopy of electrochemical reactions

Do not hesitate to contact us for a quotation or to request an in-house demonstration of our product

Request a quotation
Request a demo

Real-time
analysis

Unparalleled time response

Thanks to our patented membrane microchip technology, the system delivers EC product detection with sub-second time resolution

Exceptional sensitivity

Measure submonolayer desorption phenomena with millisecond time resolution, and easily record transient effects.

Fully integrated software

Control instrument and measurements from an integrated, user friendly graphical user interface.

Video Tour

Product

Description

The Spectro Inlets analysis system incorporates our unique microchip inlet technology with a vacuum and gas-handling system in conjuction with a mass spectrometer to deliver unprecedented real-time measurements of volatile substances in liquid environments. The analysis system can characterize minute gas evolution at the surface of an electrode for electrochemistry and battery R&D. As the inlet is robust and self-cleaning,  the system is also suitable for monitoring dissolved gases for industrial applications such as biogas production and wastewater treatment.

Contents

The Spectro Inlets system is a complete solution for EC-MS experiments, ready to perform out of the box. The instrument is provided with:

  • EC-MS tabletop analysis instrument (with embedded mass spectrometer)
  • BioLogic SP-200 potentiostat
  • EC cell
  • 5 microchips
  • Roughing pump
  • Software (computer not included)
  • Electronics control box
  • Fluidic connectors and glassware
  • Mounting block to easily load sample

Features

Membrane chip:
Tailored analyte sampling and molecular flow for true quantitative analysis.
Standardized sample holder:
Piranha-cleanable stagnant thin-layer EC cell for standard 5 mm cylindrical electrodes, common in RDE.
Fast time-response:
Sub-second time resolution.
High sensitivity:
Measure the desorption of 10 ppm of a monolayer in 1 sec.
High dynamic range:
Measure from 1 mA down to 1 nA of continuous product formation.
Quantitative analysis: 100% volatile species collection efficiency and tailored molecule flux to the detector.
Dosing of reactant gases:
Fully defined mass transport to and from the electrode.
Fast sample and chip exchange:
Integrated vacuum system for effortless chip exchange without interrupting instrument operation or venting.
Streamlined software solution:
Complete system control and synchronized EC-MS data acquisition and plotting. Full documentation is available for customization by the user.

The system contains a BioLogic SP-200 potentiostat, an embedded mass spectrometer, and all the glassware to to perform electrochemistry
The embedded mass spectrometer for the Spectro Inlets EC-MS system is a Pfeiffer Prisma Pro. It is chosen for its optimal performance, matching that of the membrane microchip.
The working EC-MS system equipped with a built-in mass spectrometer (Pfeiffer Prisma Pro) and a BioLogic SP-200 potentiostat. On the side, four Swagelok VCR connectors allow to operate the system with up to four different make-up gases.
View More

Accessories

U-cup assembly by PINE Research Instrumentation
  • Assembly retaining the working electrode in the EC-cell and ensuring electrical contact
  • PTFE U-cup for maximum chemical inertness and cleanability
  • Accepts 5.0 mm OD x 4.0 mm thick disk inserts (disk inserts not included)

U-cup assembly

EC cell
  • Use any common 5 mm disk electrode
  • Allows connection to reference and counter electrodes via standard Luer connectors
  • Manufactured in PTFE for maximum chemical inertness
PTFE spacers
  • High-accuracy spacers defining the electrolyte volume between electrode and membrane chip
  • Available in different thicknesses for tailored applications
  • Manufactured in PTFE for maximum chemical inertness

PTFE spacers

Mounting block
  • Manufactured in PCTFE for maximum chemical inertness and cleanability
  • Allows mounting electrodes in the EC cell minimizing exposure to contaminants
  • Ensures reproducible mounting procedure

Mounting block

Glass pipes with Luer connector
  • Used to connect reference and counter electrodes to the cell
  • Hand-made high-quality borosilicate glass

Ground glass joint – standard taper NS 14.5

 

Glass pipes

Membrane chips
  • Easy to exchange, quality tested, and ready to use
  • Also for non-aqueous electrolytes
  • Bundles of 10 chips available

Membrane chips

Representative electrochemistry mass spectrometry (EC-MS) data acquired with the Spectro Inlets EC-MS system. Electrochemical data from the potentiostat (SP-200 from BioLogic) is shown in the lower panel, whereas mass spectrometry (MS) data is shown above, both plotted against common time and synchronized. Gas evolution in a carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning experiment is shown. Water electrolysis on a polycrystalline platinum (Pt) electrode is affected by the CO gas pulse, where the surface of the Pt catalyst is poisoned. During the subsequent anodic cycle, the CO adsorbed on the Pt surface is oxidized and released as carbon dioxide (CO2). Because of the 100% collection efficiency the system is fully quantitative, and all CO2 molecules are collected by the mass spectrometer. Thus, integrating the CO2 peak allows to quantify the exact number of electrochemical active sites on the catalyst surface.

Example
EC-MS data

H2 evolution and CO stripping experiments using a 5 mm polycrystalline Pt electrode in 1M HClO4.

View full example data