Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy

Abstract

Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) is a method to study the characteristics of organic and inorganic materials, based on their passive electrical properties, determined by the observation of the tissue electrical response to the passage of external electrical energy. The impedance and phase angles of the materials is measured by a multiple frequency impedance analyzer (impedance meter) that is able to scan each sample at different frequencies. Electrochemical impedance have been widely used to estimate plant health, their nutrient status, mineral deficiency, presence of viruses, fruit damages, structural cellular variation during fruit ripening, freeze or chill damages, sensitivity to salinity, and measurement of root system growth in trees. In all these studies EIS measurements provided a means of nondestructively analyzing variation in intra- and extracellular resistances and in the condition of the membranes.The fundamental studies and some applications of EIS for the field of plant science are described, particularly in relation to root growth and development, seed quality, environmental stresses, and fruits damages or ripening.