TY - JOUR
T1 - Design and validation of a low-cost open-source impedance based quartz crystal microbalance for electrochemical research
AU - Horst, Rens J.
AU - Katzourakis, Antonis
AU - Mei, Bastian T.
AU - de Beer, Sissi
N1 - Funding Information:
This research has been performed with financial support from the 4TU.Centre High-Tech Materials ( www.4tu.nl/htm ) stimulating joint materials science activities within the research community of the 4TU.Federation.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 The Author(s)
PY - 2022/10
Y1 - 2022/10
N2 - The quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) measurement technique is utilized in a broad variety of scientific fields and applications, where surface and interfacial processes are relevant. However, the costs of purchasing QCMs is typically high, which has limited its employment in education as well as by scientists in developing countries. In this article, we present an open-source QCM, built on the OpenQCM project, and using an impedance-based measurement technique (QCM-I), which can be built for <200 euro. Our QCM allows for simultaneous monitoring of the frequency change and dissipation, such that both soft and rigid materials can be characterized. In addition, our QCM measurements can be combined with simultaneous electrochemical measurement techniques (EQCM-I). We demonstrate the validity of our system by characterizing the electrodeposition of a rigid metallic film (Cu) and by the electropolymerization of aniline. Finally, we discuss potential improvements to our system.
AB - The quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) measurement technique is utilized in a broad variety of scientific fields and applications, where surface and interfacial processes are relevant. However, the costs of purchasing QCMs is typically high, which has limited its employment in education as well as by scientists in developing countries. In this article, we present an open-source QCM, built on the OpenQCM project, and using an impedance-based measurement technique (QCM-I), which can be built for <200 euro. Our QCM allows for simultaneous monitoring of the frequency change and dissipation, such that both soft and rigid materials can be characterized. In addition, our QCM measurements can be combined with simultaneous electrochemical measurement techniques (EQCM-I). We demonstrate the validity of our system by characterizing the electrodeposition of a rigid metallic film (Cu) and by the electropolymerization of aniline. Finally, we discuss potential improvements to our system.
KW - Electrochemical Quartz Crystal Microbalance
KW - Electrochemistry
KW - Open-source
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85141911225&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.ohx.2022.e00374
DO - 10.1016/j.ohx.2022.e00374
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85141911225
SN - 2468-0672
VL - 12
JO - HardwareX
JF - HardwareX
M1 - e00374
ER -