Optional modules
Unlimited possibilities - The various modules allow you to customize your Autolab PGSTAT to your needs. All available modules are described below apart from the FRA2 impedance module and the current booster units.
The EQCM module provides the means to perform Electrochemical Quartz Crystal Microbalance experiments. The EQCM module measures a mass change per unit area by recording the change in resonant frequency of a quartz crystal oscillator.
Measurements in the sub μg/cm2 are possible. The EQCM can be fitted with 6 MHz, AT-cut crystals. An application note is available: EQCM study of underpotentially deposited (UPD) lead adlayer on gold
The module comes with a dedicated electrochemical cell and is supported in NOVA only. The specifications are:
● Oscillation frequency 6 MHz
● Resolution 0.07 Hz
● Relative accuracy 1 Hz
● Sampling rate 50 S/s
● Available frequency range 80.000 Hz
● PGSTAT compatibility PGSTAT128N, PGSTAT302N and series 7 Autolab instruments type PGSTAT12 and PGSTAT30
For safety reasons the EQCM module cannot be installed in Autolab PGSTAT100.
ADC10M
The ADC10M module is an ultra-fast sampling module that increases the sampling rate of the Autolab from 50 kSamples/s to 10 MSamples/s giving you the ability to acquire fast transients with intervals down to 100 ns.
When combined with the SCAN250 module, you can perform ultra-fast cyclic voltammetry measurements with scan rates up to 250 kV/s, making it a powerful tool for studying fast kinetic processes.
The new ADC10M module is only supported in Nova, our latest advanced electrochemical measurement package. The ADC750 (750 kSamples/s) is also still available if you want support in GPES for older type instruments, the ADC10M module does not replace the ADC164 module but is an addition.
Application areas
- Accurate determination of ohmic drop using current interrupt
- Measurement of rapid reaction kinetics on ultra-micro electrodes
- Measurement of rapid transients during the charge and discharge cycle of super-capacitors
- Detection of neurotransmitters during in-vivo bio-electrochemistry
Due to the advanced technology used on the ADC10M module an end-user statement is required outside the European Union.
SCAN250
The staircase method for cyclic voltammetry is widely used in digital instruments as the currents due to the charging of the double layer are reduced if the duration of the step is sufficiently long. This results in data that can be treated as originating from faradaic processes only.
When the processes exhibit very fast transient behavior, such as hydrogen adsorption, digital sweep can lead to loss of information regarding the adsorption process. The SCAN250 module, which has the capability of applying a true analog sweep to the sample, was specially designed to overcome this problem. The true linear scan rate range is from 10 mV/s to 250 kV/s. The SCAN250 module in combination with ADC10M is a very powerful tool for studying fast transients.
Application areas
- Measurement of capacitive as well as faradaic processes at the same time
- Measurement of processes exhibiting rapid transient behavior such as hydrogen adsorption
- Ultra-fast cyclic voltammetry and ultra-fast chrono-amperometry
MUX
The Mux module series allows you to perform electrochemical experiments on multiple cells sequentially. The cell to perform measurement on can be selected either manually or automatically using the software option 'Project Mode'. Metrohm Autolab can offer two types of MUX modules.
MUX.MULTI4 - sequential measurements on complete electrochemical cells, up to 64 cells with increments of 4 can be measured.
MUX.SCNR16 - sequential measurements on cells that share the same counter, reference and sense electrode but different working electrode, up to 255 different working electrodes with increments of 16 can be measured.
BA
The BA is a dual-mode bipotentiostat module that converts the Autolab into a double channel potentiostat with which measurements on 2 working electrodes can be performed sharing the same counter and reference electrode.
In the standard mode, a fixed potential is applied to the second channel (second Working Electrode) while applying a potential step or a sweep to the first channel (first Working Electrode). In the optional scanning bipotentiostat mode, a potential offset with respect to the first channel is applied to the second channel.
The BA module has 7 current ranges (10 nA - 10 mA) available. The current range during measurement can be either fixed manually or selected automatically by the software, the maximum current is 50 mA.
Application areas
- Measurements on rotating ring-disk electrodes (RRDE)
- Measurements on wall jet ring-disk electrodes (WJRDE)
- Measurements on tube/channel double electrodes (TDE/CDE)
MultiBA
The BA module is available in a MultiBA configuration in which up to 5 extra channels, sharing the same counter and reference electrode, can be added to the Autolab (PGSTAT128N or PGSTAT302N), one for each additional BA module.
Each extra channel has an independent offset with respect to the reference electrode (in standard mode) or the first channel (in scanning bipotentiostat mode). The mode of each channel can be set independently, the maximum current is 50 mA.
Application areas
- Measurements on sensor arrays
- Measurements on interdigitated electrodes
ECN
During localized corrosion electrochemical noise is generated by a combination of stochastic (random) processes, such as breakdown of passive films and repassivation.
Electrochemical noise (ECN) is an in-situ technique for measuring these localized corrosion processes on bare or coated metal samples. During measurements with the ECN module no external perturbation (potential or current) is applied to the electrode. The potential and current signals are measured as a function of time.
The accompanying analysis software allows the current and potential versus time data to be analyzed using Fast Fourier Transform (FFT). The software also provides several filtering and mathematical methods for treating electrochemical noise signals.
Application areas
- Pitting corrosion studies
- Study of high impedance coatings
ECD
The lowest current range available on the standard Autolab is 10 nA. At this current range, the Autolab has a current resolution of 30 fA. When doing measurements on micro-electrodes some times even higher resolution is needed. Originally designed for electro-chemical detection in HPLC and FIA, the ECD module makes the measurement of such low currents possible.
The ECD module provides 2 additional current ranges of 1 nA and 100 pA giving a minimum current resolution of 0.3 fA. The ECD module also has a built in third order Sallen-Key filter, with 3 RC-time constants that help to filter out noise.
Application areas
- Electrochemical measurements on micro-electrodes
- Detection of heavy metals in aqueous solutions in ultra low concentrations
FI20
The FI20, filter and integrator, module allows the Autolab users to do coulometric and chrono-coulometric experiments. The analog integrator gives you the possibility to measure charge instead of current and can be used both in cyclic voltammetry as well as in potential step experiments.
With this module it is easy to separate the capacitive current from the faradaic current. In addition the integrator is effective in reducing signal noise by averaging it out. The third order Sallen-Key filter with selectable RC-times between 0 and 500 ms, can be used to filter out noise.
The module is also useful in cases where the background noise (50 or 60 Hz for example) cannot be removed by using measures like a Faraday cage.
Application areas
- Direct measurement of charge
- Electrochemical measurements on micro-electrodes
- Electrolysis and electroplating
pX1000
The pX1000 allows the measurements of pH or pX values during electrochemical experiments. This module also provides an additional Pt1000 input which allows recording of the temperature during the experiments, either through a Pt1000 sensor or through a combined pH/Pt1000 sensor. The temperature measurement allows automatic pH corrections. An Autolab application note using this module for determining the critical pitting temperature is available.
The pX1000 module can also be used as an additional differential electrometer, with the same specifications as the main Autolab electrometer. The pX1000 module is compatible with the latest Metrohm sensors.
The user can connect any pH, pX or ‘double’ electrode to the pH module. In case an electrode other than a pH electrode is used, the output is given as the voltage difference that is measured between the electrodes making it possible to connect a detection electrode to perform coulometric titration. The pX module also works as an
independent pH meter.
This unique functionality is only available using Nova software.
Application areas
- Coulometric titration
- Complexometric titration
- Temperature measurement