Dynamic Processes in Electrochemical Reactions Studied by Surface-Enhanced Infrared Absorption Spectroscopy (SEIRAS)

Abstract Molecules adsorbed on evaporated thin metal films exhibit enormously strong infrared absorption. The thin metal films that exhibit the surface-enhanced infrared absorption (SEIRA) consist of metal particles much smaller than the wavelength of light. Electric field associated with the incident infrared radiation is enhanced via the excitation of localized plasmon of the particles, yielding the absorption enhancement. Preferential orientation and the change in absorption coefficient of molecules caused by chemisorption onto the metal surface provide additional enhancement. Most characteristic observations in SEIRA experiments are well explained by a simple electromagnetic theory. The infrared spectroscopy utilizing the SEIRA effect is promising as a new surface analytical tool. In particular, it is very useful for in situ studies of electrode/electrolyte interfaces. By the combined use of the attenuated-total-reflection technique, reactions and adsorption/desorption of molecules at the interfaces can be investigated at a high sensitivity without the interference from the bulk solution. The high sensitivity of this technique enables dynamic (or time-resolved) infrared monitoring of reactions and other time-dependent phenomena at the electrochemical interface at time-resolutions ranging from microseconds to milliseconds. Two-dimensional correlation analysis of time-resolved spectra highlights certain useful information that is not clearly seen in the usual one-dimensional spectra.