Spectroelectrochemistry

Abstract

This chapter provides a brief review of the main spectroelectrochemical techniques most frequently used in inorganic chemistry to study and characterize inorganic soluble species, focusing mainly on coordination and organometallic complexes. To record in a single experiment all spectral changes related to the reactants, products or intermediates generated or consumed while an electrochemical process occurs, is important for a better understanding of chemical systems. The first section shows generalities about spectroelectrochemistry and justifies its usefulness in inorganic chemistry. The second section introduces the main characteristics of UV/Vis/NIR, IR, photoluminescence, and Raman spectroelectrochemistry, while the third section describes the most useful and convenient ways to perform such experiments. In the fourth section different applications, mainly in the research field of coordination and organometallic complexes, are briefly summarized, where the advantages of using this multiresponse technique to study soluble species of these compounds is clearly described. Finally, an overview of potential uses of spectroelectrochemistry in the coming years is presented, where the work of all researchers involved in these two fields, inorganic chemistry and spectroelectrochemistry, will be very important to spread its use.