Application of the quartz microbalance in electrochemistry

An introduction is given into the basic physics of a microbalance, based on the piezoelectric properties of quartz crystals. The influence of a viscous medium in contact whith the oscillating quartz is discussed. A device is described which permits the application of such a balance in electrochemical research. A number of examples are given. They include: the current efficiency of galvanic metal deposition, the rate of uniform corrosion, the effect of corrosion inhibitors, the determination of alloy composition in thin layers, the mechanism of electroless metal deposition, the formation of self-assembled monolayers, and the elucidation of the mechanism of an autocatalyic reduction reaction. All examples are taken from the literature. The paper is aimed at graduate students, at organizers of electrochemical lab classes, and at all scientists from fundamental and applied research who want a simple, versatile tool for the study of mixed electrode reactions