Simultaneous UV–Visible absorption and raman spectroelectrochemistry

Abstract

The development of a new device based on the use of UV–vis bare optical fibers in a long optical path length configuration and the measurement of the Raman response in normal arrangement allows us to perform UV–vis and Raman spectroelectrochemistry simultaneously in a single experiment. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that a spectroelectrochemistry device is able to record both spectroscopic responses at the same time, which further expands the versatility of spectroelectrochemistry techniques and enables us to obtain much more high-quality information in a single experiment. Three different electrochemical systems, such as ferrocyanide, dopamine, and 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene, have been studied to validate the cell and to demonstrate the performance of the device. Processes that take place in solution can be properly distinguished from processes that occur on the electrode surface during the electrochemical experiment, providing a whole picture of the reactions taking place at the electrode/solution interface. Therefore, this device allows us to study a larger number of complex electrochemical processes from different points of view taking into account not only the UV–vis spectral changes in the solution adjacent to the electrode but also the Raman signal at any location. Furthermore, complementary information, which could not be unambiguously extracted without considering together the two spectroscopic signals and the electrochemical response, is obtained in a novel way.