An Easy-to-Use 3D-Printed Electrochemical Cell for I n Situ Raman Spectroscopy

Abstract

In energy conversion devices such as electrolyzers and batteries, the monitoring of electrode surfaces during electrochemical processes is essential to understand their operation mechanisms. One of the promising techniques is in situ Raman spectroscopy, which can analyze (i) electrode surface structure, (ii) surface species (reaction intermediate species), and (iii) localized electrolyte species.1 The bottleneck for using this technique is the high cost and complexity of commercially available electrochemical cells designed for in situ Raman spectroscopy. To solve these issues, a few research groups provided 3D-printed spectroelectrochemical cells with low cost and less complexity.2,3 However, the spectroelectrochemical cells so far reported require a specific sample type (i.e., particles). We need a low-cost and less-complex spectroelectrochemical cell that can be used for more varieties of samples.In this study, we will provide a new design of a spectroelectrochemical cell that has compatibility with various sample types [i.e., substrates (e.g., metal foil strips, fluorine-doped tin oxide-coated glass, indium tin oxide-coated glass, etc.) and particle]. Specifically, a versatile, low-cost, and less-complex electrochemical cell for in situ Raman spectroscopy will be fabricated using a stereolithography (SLA) 3D printer with resin as a printing material. Herein, using the SLA 3D-printed spectroelectrochemical cell, we will also demonstrate a few example studies for electrolyzer and battery applications. References W. Zheng, Chemistry–Methods, 3, e202200042 (2023).M. F. dos Santos et al., Anal. Chem., 91, 10386–10389 (2019).G. D. da Silveira et al., Anal. Chim. Acta, 1141, 57–62 (2021).