Versatile and low cost spectroelectrochemical cell for in situ study of electrode surfaces

•Spectroelectrochemical cell for simultaneous in situ RAMAN and electrochemical analysis is proposed for the study of electrode surfaces.•Simple fabrication procedure and (dis)assemble, easy operation and low cost materials employed are the main advantages of the proposed SEC.•This system was also designed to perform SERS analysis.•The design and materials used confers robustness, versatility, resistance to chemical reactants and solvents and electrochemical stability to the SEC.

We describe here a new low cost spectroelectrochemical cell (SEC), particularly suited to perform confocal reflectance Raman Spectroscopy in situ of electrode surfaces taking advantage of surface enhancement effects. The system is readily (dis)assembled, easily adaptable for use with UV-Vis and NIR techniques and allows integration with most commercial devices and operation using different electrodes. Spectroelectrochemical characterization were carried out by using a pre-roughened gold electrode in the presence of 1,4-Bis(Isopropylamino)anthraquinone as an active redox probe. As proof-of-concept, SERS effect of a SSV (Sphere Segment Void) copper substrate was successfully evaluated at different potentials. Raman-assisted electrochemical reduction of graphene oxide was also demonstrated by using our cell, highlighting the applicability and versatility of the proposed SEC.

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