In Situ Detection of Electrochemical Reaction Surface Area by Optical Weak Measurement

Area of Science:

• Electrochemistry
• Materials Science
• Surface Science

Background:

• Surface area is critical for electrocatalyst performance in energy storage and electrocatalysis.
• Electrochemical activity, adsorption, and stability are directly influenced by electrocatalyst surface area.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce and validate an optical weak measurement (WM) method for determining the reaction surface area (RSA) of electrocatalysts.
• To compare the WM method with traditional surface area measurement techniques.

Main Methods:

• Optical weak measurement (WM) for in situ determination of reaction surface area (RSA).
• Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) for total surface area (TSA) measurement.
• Electrochemical double-layer capacitance (EDLC) for active surface area (ASA) determination.

Main Results:

• The RSA measured by WM showed a consistent growth trend with TSA (BET) and ASA (EDLC), confirming WM's reliability.
• The WM method provides an in situ measurement with minimal impact on the analyte.

Conclusions:

• The optical weak measurement (WM) method is a reliable and experimentally accessible technique for measuring electrocatalyst reaction surface area (RSA).
• This method facilitates a more rational evaluation of surface area effects on electrocatalyst performance.