Developments and Applications of Electrochemical Measurement Methods Using Light as a Probe or an Excitation Source

Abstract

In the last fifty years, many electrochemical measurement methods using light have been developed and applied to investigations of various kinds of electrode reactions. Most of these methods belong to spectroelectrochemical ones, in which light is used as a probe. On the other hand, we have intended to positively use light in the methods as an excitation source. In this article, I will first review the applications of attenuated total reflection (ATR) in the visible region to the investigations of electrode reactions, that is, the electrode reaction of a redox indicator and the deposition/stripping of Ag and Hg. In addition, the application of ATR to adsorption of water-soluble porphyrin at a glass/solution interface will be reviewed, although the adsorption is not an electrode reaction. Subsequently, the electrochemical measurement methods using laser ablation and laser heating, that is, laser ablation voltammetry (LAV) and thermal modulation voltammetry (TMV) will be reviewed together with the results obtained from the methods.