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eQCM Quartz Crystal Microbalance

Gamry’s eQCM 10M™ is an electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance (EQCM) compatible with any Gamry Reference or Interface Potentiostat. The EQCM adds a valuable tool in the analytical toolbox of anyone investigating interfacial processes. Corrosion, ion intercalation, ion adsorption, polymer growth, and sensor binding events are all interfacial processes that produce mass changes.  These mass changes can be measured by monitoring the resonant frequencies of an oscillating quartz crystal.  

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Great instrument, easy to use, very stable

Rating: 5.0 5.00 Out of 5 Stars

Organization: Rowan University

Application Area: Materials chemistry and energy storage

"I have used several QCM instruments from different manufacturers. I compared several QCM/eQCM instruments on the market and chose the Gamry eQCM based on the price and description of the..."

4 Reviews | Read More Reviews

eQCM Product Details

The eQCM 10M is a versatile electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance (EQCM) that accommodates any crystal from 1-10 MHz in any cell or holder.  Its resolution allows you to detect mass changes on the ng/cm2 scale. This is less than a monolayer of material!  Our system comes with everything you need to get started – the eQCM 10M, 5 MHz Au-coated crystals (5x), static cell, cables, manuals, and software.

eQCM 10M Features

  • Any crystal from 1-10 MHz in any cell
  • Detect ng/cm2
  • USB Interface
  • Integrated QCM and Gamry Potentiostat acquisition
  • Impedance scanning gives both ƒs and ƒp, the series and parallel resonant frequencies
  • Data Analysis in Gamry’s flexible and customizable Echem Analyst™

eQCM Applications

  • Electroactive Polymers
  • Li+ Intercalation
  • Corrosion Studies
  • Electrodeposition
  • Self-Assembled Monolayers
  • Antibody-Antigen Interactions
  • Surfactant Adsorption
  • Protein Adsorption
  • Ion and Solvent Transport

The eQCM 10M rapidly scans a frequency window around the two resonant frequencies (these resonant frequencies are explained in our Basics of an eQCM Quartz Crystal Microbalance App Note).  The advantage of scanning through the two resonant frequencies is that you no longer need to cancel the parasitic capacitance in order to maintain oscillation.  Additionally, the relative impedance spectrum is displayed each time a data point is acquired, giving you insight into bubble formation on your electrode or improper cell setup.  Having the two resonant frequencies also allows you to qualitatively see dissipation changes.  When ƒs and ƒp respond similarly your film is rigid, however, when ƒs and ƒp respond differently the film is not rigid. 

Resonator also allows you to adjust the driving amplitude of the crystal.  This is especially important when working in an ionic liquid (IL) or a viscous solution where damping is especially high. The ability to manually increase the driving amplitude for heavily-loaded crystals offers a significant advantage over straight dissipation or time-resolved techniques. 

Data analysis is done in our flexible and customizable Echem Analyst™.  We give you a variety of plotting options to allow you to display the data as you want.  You can plot straight mass change versus time, mass versus charge, mass versus potential, or a basic form of dissipation versus time. 

Cleaning Crystals

A note about cleaning Quartz Crystal Microbalance crystals. We typically think of crystals as one-time use items but if you need to clean them, Pirhanna solution (the acidic one) can work well but take all of the necessary precautions when dealing with this solution. It is very dangerous and you should consult an MSDS and have proper safety training before using. 

eQCM Specifications

FREQUENCY MEASUREMENT
Range 1– 10 MHz
Resolution 0.02 Hz
   

ENVIRONMENTAL
Operating Temperature Range 0 to 45°C
Relative Humidity Maximum 90 (non-condensing)%
Storage and Shipping Temperature -25 to 75°C
Maximum Shipping Acceleration 30G
   

GENERAL
Power Input Voltage Range 10 to 14 Volts
Power 25W
Dimensions 175x 115x 80 mm
Weight 1 kg
Dimensions of External Power Adapter 120 x 55 x 30 mm
Weight of External Power Adapter 40 grams

A PHE200 or Global license is necessary to have Resonator control any Gamry Reference or Interface potentiostat in version 6 of the software.  No additional license is required in version 7 of the software.

System Requirements

  • USB 2.0 Port
  • Microsoft® Windows™ XP SP3/Vista/7/8/10 (32-bit or 64-bit)

 

eQCM Manuals

eQCM 10M Part #992-00123 (new temperature controlled cell setup), #992-00083 (discontinued - included old Teflon static cell)

eQCM Accessories

Accessories for the eQCM Quartz Crystal Microbalance include:


5 MHz Crystals (Pack of 5) 
The crystals below have a nominal electroactive area of 1.1 cm2 and a nominal area of overlap of 0.24 cm2. These crystals all have a Ti underlayer to improve adhesion. 

The following 10 MHz crystals are for the discontinued Teflon Static Cell:
The crystals below have a nominal electroactive and area of overlap of 0.21 cm2.  These crystals all have a Ti underlayer to improve adhesion. 

Reviews

Good instrument.

Rating: 5.0 5.00 Out of 5 Stars

Organization: Ben Gurion University

Application Area: Electrodeposition

"Very nice instrument. Easy to learn and use. Great analysis software. Has everything I need for electrodeposition studies.
Never used Gamry instruments before. After a few hours we had high quality results."

Incredible instrument.

Rating: 5.0 5.00 Out of 5 Stars

Organization: IQUIMEFA-UBA-CONICET

Application Area: Biopolymers and nanotechnology

"The eQCM is a great product, very robust and is interfaced with intuitive software. The availability of a static and a flow cell are great for testing diverse conditions."

Great instrument, easy to use, very stable

Rating: 5.0 5.00 Out of 5 Stars

Organization: Rowan University

Application Area: Materials chemistry and energy storage

"I have used several QCM instruments from different manufacturers. I compared several QCM/eQCM instruments on the market and chose the Gamry eQCM based on the price and description of the instrument. I like the instrument very much so far. It is very easy to use, especially for eQCM measurements. The interface for eQCM is simply a plug and use design, avoids any capacitors or filters. The software is very straight forward, my undergraduate students can learn how to use it in less than an hour. The instrument can measure the frequency spectrum over a large range, instead of the oscillation frequency only. However, it can not provide the "damping resistance" value. The signal I obtained is very stable, does not need a Faraday cage . The costumer service after I got this instrument is super and great when I encountered some problems, including phone and email instructions and a quick delivery of a replacement part. There are many online instruction documents and videos, you can learn the technique very quickly if you are not very familiar with QCM. Seems the "four probe" connector is not very robust, but engineering it is obviously a challenge. None of such type of connectors are perfect. Definitely recommend this instrument for research and reaching use."

Such a small but useful, easy to use, practical, Mobile, and stable instrument.

Rating: 4.7 4.70 Out of 5 Stars

Organization: Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Research Center for Natural Sciences, Institute of Materials and Environmental Chemistry

Application Area: electrochemistry, sensors, drug delivery, biosensors, adsorption, inhibition

"The instrument is very stable and dependable. Easy to use and mobile. We have purchased a potentionstat with it so we have a complete system. As research tool for sensors it is quite useful for both static or fluid cells. Now we have a task of applying it for gas sensing tests. We are very satisfied with the system."

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