Effect of the diffuse double layer on the interpretation of EQCM results in dilute NaClO4 solutions

The response of the electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance (EQCM) in dilute NaClO4 solutions was studied with gold and iron electrodes during a stepwise increase of the perchlorate concentration. In the range from 10−4 M to 7.8×10−2 M, the quartz resonant frequency of the 10 MHz AT cut crystals increased by about 700 Hz, indicating a mass loss on the electrode. A model was developed in which the diffuse double layer and the oscillating bulk electrolyte layer, characterised by the velocity decay length of the damped shear wave in solution, are treated as two independent, superimposed sheets. By assuming a characteristic thickness of the diffuse double layer according to the Gouy–Chapman theory and by treating the diffuse double layer as a rigid sheet, the measured mass loss could be simulated qualitatively. The viscosity changes in the diffuse double layer as well as in the sensed electrolyte bulk layer were found to be negligible in the concentration range investigated. In dilute solutions, the frequency shift following a concentration change is entirely due to thinning of the diffuse double layer with increasing concentration. The results demonstrate the importance of diffuse double layer effects for EQCM measurements in dilute electrolytes.