A portable transfer chamber for electrochemical measurements on electrodes prepared in ultra-high vacuum

This paper describes a versatile, light weight, and portable chamber dedicated to the transfer of electrodes from ultra-high vacuum (UHV) to atmospheric pressure and the liquid phase. This chamber can be connected to a liquid-phase reaction cell to perform electrochemical measurements and transfer back the electrode to the UHV environment. The experimental set-up can also be turned in order to make the electrode the bottom of the electrochemical cell. The validity and the efficiency of the experimental set-up were tested with a Pt(111) surface that provides unique electrochemical features in acidic sulphate-containing solution. This transfer chamber concept provides the surface science community with a new and versatile tool, complementary to existing systems, which allows fast electrolyte purging or electrochemical measurements under well-controlled mass transport conditions. (C) 2013 AIP Publishing LLC.