Electrochemical ATR-SEIRAS Using Low-Cost, Micromachined Si Wafers

Thin, micromachined Si wafers, designed as internal reflection elements (IREs) for attenuated total reflectance infrared spectroscopy, are adapted to serve as substrates for electrochemical ATR surface enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy (ATR-SEIRAS). The 500 μm thick wafer IREs with groove angles of 35° are significantly more transparent at long mid-IR wavelengths as compared to conventional large Si hemisphere IREs. The appeal of greater transparency is mitigated by smaller optical throughput at larger grazing angles and steeper angles of incidence at the reflecting plane that reduce the enhancement factor. Through use of the potential dependent adsorption of 4-methoxypyridine (MOP) as a test system, the microgroove IRE is shown to provide relatively strong electrochemical ATR-SEIRAS responses when the angle of incident radiation is between 50 and 55°, corresponding to refracted angles through the crystal of ∼40°. The higher than expected enhancement is attributed to attenuation of the reflection loss of p-polarized light and multiple reflections within the wafer-based IRE. The micromachined IREs are shown to outperform a 25 mm radius hemisphere in terms of S/N at wavenumbers less than ca. 1400 cm^–1 despite the weaker signal enhancement derived from the steeper angle incident on the IRE/sample interface. The high optical transparency of the new IREs allows the spectral observation of displaced water libration bands at ca. 730 cm^–1 upon solvent replacement by adsorbed MOP. The results are highly encouraging for the further development of low-cost, Si wafer-based IREs for electrochemical ATR-SEIRAS applications

Spatial Mapping of Methanol Oxidation Activity on a Monolithic Variable-Composition PtNi Alloy Using Synchrotron Infrared Microspectroscopy

The use of synchrotron-sourced infrared radiation to map the electrochemical activity of a binary metal (Pt and Ni) alloy is demonstrated. The alloy is created in such a way that its metal concentration varies along one of its dimensions thus creating a continuum of electrocatalyst compositions on a single electrode. Localized methanol oxidation activity is determined spectroscopically by measuring the rate of CO₂ production at variable positions along the alloy concentration gradient using an infrared microscope. Numerical simulations of the kinetically controlled reaction demonstrate that qualitative assessment of relative reaction rates is possible as long as the reaction is followed on time scales smaller than those that lead to diffusional broadening. Characterization of the alloy before and after electrochemical experiments reveals significant levels of base metal leaching. Highly dealloyed regions of the sample show the highest rates of methanol activity and have a final Ni atomic composition of approximately 5%. Surface roughening from the dealloying process is shown to be at least partially responsible for enhanced activity

Femtomole Infrared Spectroscopy at the Electrified Metal–Solution Interface

Characterization of surface adsorbed species using infrared (IR) spectroscopy provides valuable information concerning interfacial chemical and physical processes. However, <i>in situ</i> infrared studies of surface areas approaching the IR diffraction limit, such as micrometer scale electrodes, require a hitherto unrealized means to obtain high signal-to-noise (S/N) spectra from femtomole quantities of adsorbed molecules. A major methodological breakthrough is described that couples the high brilliance of synchrotron-sourced infrared microscopy with attenuated total reflection surface enhanced infrared spectroscopy (ATR-SEIRAS). The method is shown to allow the spectral measurement of a monolayer of 4-methoxypyridine (MOP) adsorbed on a surface enhancing gold film electrode under fully operational electrochemistry conditions. A factor of 15 noise improvement is achieved with small apertures using synchrotron IR relative to a thermal IR source. The very low noise levels allow the measurement of high quality IR spectra of 2.5 fmol of molecules confined to a 125 μm² beam spot