Electrochemical Impedance at a rotating disk Perspective and goal

• Perspective: – Researcher interested in using EIS at RDEs • Basic echem understanding • Some EIS exposure

• Goal: – Provide an introduction and practical framework to run EIS at RDEs.

2 Topics

• Steady state mass transfer • RDE basics and the Levich equation • Nernst diffusion layer (NDL) and the porous bounded Warburg

Application • Electroactive species in biofilms • Impedance behavior of electrochemically active biofilms (EAB) at an RDE

3 Why use an RDE?

• Achieve the steady state mass transfer condition:

• i = nFA(D/δ)(Cbulk – Csurface)

• iL = nFA(D/δ)(Cbulk) where Csurface is zero – Current is limited by the mass transfer rate – Electrode potential is predicted by the – “steady state” = does not change with time

• Difficult to achieve in a stationary system: • δ(t) ~ (Dt)1/2 – t is time elapsed after a large potential step – Derived from the

4 Source: Bard and Faulkner, "Electrochemical Methods", Chapter 1, Wiley, 2001. Difficulty with stationary systems

• Background convection impacts the current measurement – After t > 20s, becomes more pronounced – Thermal gradients, vibration, other external factors

• The transient current behavior and background convection influence conflicts with the EIS stability requirement, especially when wanting to run EIS at a non-zero DC current

• EIS generally limited to running at the open circuit potential for diffusion-limited stationary systems

5 Source: Bard and Faulkner, "Electrochemical Methods", Chapter 5, Wiley, 2001. Why use an RDE?

• Gives you a reproducible and well-defined way of introducing convection to control diffusion of electroactive species near the electrode surface

6 Rotated disk theory

• disk electrode (blue) is embedded in a larger, non-conducting shroud • entire assembly is rotated (red arrow) • Solution is drawn up along the axis of rotation and past the electrode (black arrows) • There is laminar (i.e., smooth) flow past the electrode surface • The electrode potential is set to the limiting current region

7 Rotated disk theory

• solution at the surface is dragged along by the rotating disk r = 0

– Hydrodynamic layer, yh

• there is a thin layer that is yh unstirred diffusion δ – Nernst diffusion layer, δ convection Cbulk

1/3 • yh/δ= 2(ν/D) – NDL is ~5% of hydrodynamic layer in water for an electroactive species

such as ferricyanide concentration Electrode surface distance from NDL electrode

8 Source: Bard and Faulkner, "Electrochemical Methods", Chapter 9, Wiley, 2001. Rotated disk theory

• Limiting current, iL, is given by the Levich equation 2/3 1/2 -1/6 – iL = 0.62nFAD ω ν Cbulk – Levich equation is the steady state solution to the convective- diffusion system • Combining the Levich equation with our earlier equation* yields:

9 *Slide 4: iL = nFA(D/δ)(Cbulk) Porous bounded Warburg

• The hydrodynamics described for RDEs fits the requisites for a 'Porous Bounded Warburg’: – There is a thin layer of unstirred solution next to the electrode – Large, stirred, homogeneous source of material outside that layer – Between these regions there is a (virtual) membrane that is porous to the diffusing molecule.

• Sometimes referred to as the Nernst circuit element because it fits the model of the Nernst Diffusion Layer.

10 Porous bounded Warburg

Transient diffusion layer thickness Nernst diffusion layer thickness

the diffusion layer thickness is “bounded” by the steady state limit (NDL) 11 Porous bounded Warburg

• In our basics of EIS application note1, this is described as:

– “At high frequencies, the Warburg impedance is small since diffusing reactants don't have to move very far.” – “At low frequencies, the reactants have to diffuse farther, increasing the Warburg impedance.”

1https://www.gamry.com/application-notes/EIS/basics-of-electrochemical-impedance-spectroscopy/ 12 Porous bounded Warburg

Transient diffusion layer thickness Nernst diffusion layer thickness

finite Warburg

the diffusion layer thickness is “bounded” by the steady state limit (NDL) 13 Porous bounded Warburg

• Characterized by two parameters, B and YO. • The equation for Z is shown here, along with the gruesome definitions of B and YO. • The parameter B ( in sec1/2 ) is a measure of the time it takes for the reactant to diffuse across the NDL. • B depends upon the NDL thickness, which in turn, depends upon the rotation speed 1 (r) of the electrode Y = 2 0 • YO is the magnitude of the admittance at a frequency of 0.16 Hz (or angular frequency σ of 1 rad/s), proportional to the Warburg coefficient1, σ.

1https://www.gamry.com/application-notes/EIS/basics-of-electrochemical-impedance-spectroscopy/ 14 EIS setup in the Gamry software

Acquisition: Framework Analysis: Echem Analyst

15 Sequence of EIS experiments at increasing rotation rates

16 Electroactive compounds in biofilms

FMN

+ 2 + 2 − + o 2 𝐹𝐹𝐹𝐹𝐹𝐹 E ’𝑒𝑒 = -411𝐻𝐻 mV↔Ag/AgCl𝐻𝐻 𝐹𝐹𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀

*Fredrickson JK, et al. 2008. Towards environmental systems biology of Shewanella. 17 Nat Rev Microbiol 6:592-603. Considerations before EIS-RDE experiments

• Run CVs first at varying rotation rates and bulk concentrations • Based off CVs, select a suitable DC voltage based such as: – The percentage of limiting current1

– E1/2 where current is half the limiting current value – An operating voltage you’d like to mimic – Open circuit potential • AC voltage should be small enough to maintain linearity at the chosen DC voltage • 100 kHz to 100 mHz is generally a good starting frequency range

1 Impedance of a rotating disc electrode with a reversible reaction, M Boillot, 18 S Didierjean, F Lapicque, J. Appl. Electrochem., 34 (2004) 1191-1197. Selecting initial CV parameters

• Voltage window: – within a known working region – Starts in a region without faradaic current – Stops at the working region limit or when limiting current is observed • Scan rate: – 100 mV/s initially, slower if hysteresis is visible • Cycle #: – Usually two cycles to ensure stability • Rotation rate: – Low to high, dictated by RPM rating of the RDE

– Look for stubborn bubbles trapped on the electrode surface 19 Levich behavior in practice

20 0 480 M FMN 0 -20 A) -20  A)

 -40 -40 -60 Current ( Current -60 500 RPM 51 M 151 M 1000 RPM Limitingcurrent ( -80 248 M -80 1500 RPM 343 M 2000 RPM 480 M -100 -100 -0.60 -0.55 -0.50 -0.45 -0.40 -0.35 -0.30 -0.25 -0.20 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 1/2 1/2 Potential (VAg/AgCl) (s )

-0.08

-0.10

Levich equation -0.12

(A/M) -0.14 bulk / C / L i -0.16

-0.18

-0.20 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 20 1/2 (s1/2) FMN reduction at a glassy carbon RDE

Increasing bulk concentration Increasing rotation rate

20 20 2000 RPM 480 µM 0 0

-20 -20 A) A)   -40 -40 Current ( Current Current ( Current -60 -60

-80 -80

-100 -100 -0.55 -0.50 -0.45 -0.40 -0.35 -0.30 -0.25 -0.55 -0.50 -0.45 -0.40 -0.35 -0.30 -0.25

Potential (VAg/AgCl) Potential (VAg/AgCl)

+ 2 + 2 − + o 2 21 𝐹𝐹𝐹𝐹𝐹𝐹 E ’𝑒𝑒 = -411𝐻𝐻 mV↔Ag/AgCl𝐻𝐻 𝐹𝐹𝑀𝑀𝑀𝑀 FMN reduction at a glassy carbon RDE

Increasing bulk concentration Increasing rotation rate

4 10 104 51 M

) 500 RPM 151 M )  1000 RPM 

( 

248 M ( 103 3 1500 RPM  10 mod 343 M 2000 RPM mod Z

480 M Z 3000 RPM

2 10 102 0 0 -20 -10 -40 -20 -60 -30 -80 -40 Phaseangle (°) Phaseangle (°) -100 -50 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5 10-1 100 101 102 103 104 105 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 Frequency (Hz) Frequency (Hz)

22 FMN reduction at a glassy carbon RDE

Increasing bulk concentration Increasing rotation rate

8000 2000

6000 1500 ) )  Increasing  ( ( Increasing 4000 Cbulk 1000 imag imag RPM -Z -Z

2000 500

0 0 0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000 7000 8000 0 500 1000 1500 2000

Zreal ( ) Zreal ( )

23 FMN reduction at a glassy carbon RDE

Increasing bulk concentration Increasing rotation rate

0.6 0.6

) 0.5 2000 RPM ) 0.5 480 µM 0.5 0.4 0.5 0.4 0.3 0.3 (mS s (mS (mS s (mS

0 0.2

0 0.2 Y 0.1 Y 0.1 0.0 0.0 1.0 1.0 0.8 ) ) 0.8 500 RPM 0.5

0.5 0.6

0.4 B(s 0.6 B(s 0.2 0.4 0.0 100 200 300 400 500 0.020 0.025 0.030 0.035 0.040 0.045 -0.5 -0.5 FMN concentration (M)  (s )

24 Geobacter sulfurreducens biofilm on

• G. sulfurreducens, an oxygen-intolerant species of bacteria able to grow as biofilms on electrodes1. • Biofilm metabolizes acetate (a source of organic carbon).

Bulk acetate Flux of nutrients Photograph of biofilm grown on a 1 - glassy carbon Flux of H+ Flux of e e- Biofilm 2 z 3 H+

Electrode

1Bond, D.R. and Lovley, D.R., Appl. Environ. Microb. 2003, 69(3), 1548−1555. 25 Current is a proxy for biofilm respiration rate

• For G. sulfurreducens biofilm, the acetate half-reaction is activated above −0.4

VAg/AgCl. Eapplied = 0 VAg/AgCl

• The electrode potential needs to be polarized above this to allow biofilm growth.

• G. sulfurreducens cells are added.

• Cells that attach to the electrode form the initial biofilm.

• The initial biofilm metabolizes acetate and produces electrons at an increasing rate.

26 Biofilm CV

• During biofilm growth, the script can be stopped without damaging the biofilm. • Run cyclic script (scan rate of 30 mV/s) • A sharp increase in current is observed with several peaks superimposed • Formal potential for acetate oxidation is -483 mVAg/AgCl

27 Turnover CV

• ‘Turnover’ refers to microbial turnover of the electron donor (acetate) during CV 80 I

60

A) Biofilm growth

 over time • ‘Catalytic current’ refers to measured II 40 current caused by renewal of the reduced mediator by microbial turnover ( Current 20 III 0 • Turnover CVs have a characteristic sigmoidal voltammogram. -0.6 -0.4 -0.2 0.0 0.2 0.4 Potential (VAg/AgCl)

28 Non-turnover CV

100 • ‘Non-turnover’ refers to the absence A I 80

of microbial turnover. Heading towards 60 non-turnover A) 

II • Usually achieved by removing the 40

Current ( Current 20 electron donor (acetate) III

0 IV • Also referred to as CV under ‘starving -20 -0.6 -0.4 -0.2 0.0 0.2

conditions’ Potential (VAg/AgCl)

• Voltammograms lose the sigmoidal 2 B shape 1 A) 

• Redox current peaks appear 0 Current ( Current -1 Glassy carbon Gold -2

-0.6 -0.5 -0.4 -0.3 -0.2 -0.1 0.0

Potential (VAg/AgCl) 29

Acetate oxidation by biofilm

Current response to rotation CV response to rotation

105 530 100 530 RPM 100 160 80 80 40 0 RPM

A) 95 A) 

20  60 90 10 40 Current ( Current Current ( 85 20 80 0 RPM 0 RPM 0 75 100 110 120 130 140 150 160 170 180 -0.6 -0.4 -0.2 0.0 0.2 0.4

Time (sec) Potential (VAg/AgCl)

30 Acetate oxidation by biofilm

Current response to rotation CV response to rotation

105 600 530 100 160 80 500 40 )

A) 95   400

20 ( 90 0 RPM 10 10 RPM imag 300 20 RPM -Z Current ( 85 40 RPM 80 RPM 80 0 RPM 200 0 RPM 160 RPM 530 RPM 75 100 100 110 120 130 140 150 160 170 180 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400 1600 Time (sec) Zreal ( )

31 Lower acetate bulk concentration

100 A • Track the biofilm impedance 80 during a transition from turnover 60 A)

to non-turnover conditions  B – A: fully turnover 40

– B: partially non-turnover ( Current 20 C – C: completely non-turnover 0

-20 -0.6 -0.4 -0.2 0.0 0.2

Potential (VAg/AgCl)

32 Rotation independent impedance response

0.6 1.0 12

10 0.5 A 0.8 B C ) ) )    8 0.4 (k (k 0.6 (k 6 imag imag 0.3 imag 0.4 -Z -Z -Z 4

0.2 2 0.2 0.1 0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 Zreal (k ) Zreal (k ) Zreal (k )

@ 530 RPM @ 0 RPM

By modulating both rotation rate and bulk acetate concentration, we identified a pseudo-capacitance tied to bound mediators in the biofilm

Babauta, J.T. and Beyenal, H. (2014), Mass transfer studies of Geobacter sulfurreducens biofilms on rotating disk electrodes. Biotechnol. Bioeng., 111: 285-294. doi:10.1002/bit.25105 33 Summary

• The rotated disk electrode is one more tool in your electrochemical toolbox. • It is well founded in theory, and can be used for simple voltammetric or potentiodynamic scans, as well as for impedance studies. • When diffusion is modeled in an EIS experiment, the Porous Bounded Warburg or Nernst circuit element is the proper one to use. • For simple systems, excellent fits can be obtained over a wide range of rotation rates. • For complex systems, rotation-(in)dependent behavior can help point you in the right direction. • Varying the rotation rate can be one way to test the validity of your model!

34 QUESTIONS?

35