Hello Awang,

the setup for EIS is influenced by your sample, by the purpose of your experiment, your available equipment and so on.

The easiest way will be to get a pressed sample of spherical shape between the plates of a spherical capacitor with known cell capacity. Then connect the plates of the capacitor to your impedance analyzer.

A very good introduction to EIS could be found in this book:

http://eu.wiley.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-0471647497.html

Hello Awang,

the setup for EIS is influenced by your sample, by the purpose of your experiment, your available equipment and so on.

The easiest way will be to get a pressed sample of spherical shape between the plates of a spherical capacitor with known cell capacity. Then connect the plates of the capacitor to your impedance analyzer.

A very good introduction to EIS could be found in this book:

http://eu.wiley.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-0471647497.html

Dr. Thomas Simons answers it all. EIS measurements depend largely on the nature of your sample.

Though, an easier way is also possible through the use of a Petentiostat where most of the measurements of electrochemistry are easily monitorized using a more simple system.

Tell us more about your sample, it is a polymer? metal? what kind of use do you plan for it, and maybe we can help you more.

To setup a sample for EIS, requires many things before the experiment.

First of all, you have to choose 3 electrodes and the electrolyte(solution that you are going to use). 

On these 3 electrodes, the working electrode will contain your  sample, reference electrode: Saturated calomel electrode (SCE)  or Silver/silver chloride electrode, counter electrode: platinum wire or carbon rod.

Once you decide those thing, you are ready for your experiment.

Then the next step, is to prepare the working electrode.

If your material is powder, you need to disperse on some solvent then take a small amount and deposit on glassy carbon electrode.

Actually, you have to decide the working electrode according to your applications/working area.

If you want to measure the corrosion behavior, then it is totally different.

So decide the area of your analysis, then we can help you more to perform the experiment.

EIS is a powerful technique to study the surface of materials. It is important that you consider the electrochemical cell setup. Any variation in the cell or even in your material surface preparation will lead to different results.  Tell us more about your experiment.

Hello Awang,

for your class-case "EIS for a solid sample" can be a next (3rd) educational step. For your class the process of mastering the method is more important than EIS as educational step.

Fist, we would propose to use a series of standard (well known) lumped circuit elements e.g. standard RLC combinations of progressive complexity intended to educate you in the process of a measurement-modeling cycle. You will consider that you master the cycles of these 1)measurement and 2)model(s) verification values by measuring all i-elements' errors values Ei  to be quite clearly small (e.g. Ei =Zi-lump-Zi-model

Dear Awang,

there is not very much to be added to Arthur's advice. Only perhaps that the body of the liquid cell should be  pure silica and not the usual soda-lime glass (too conductive). The Pt electrodes should be fused onto the body from the respective sides. In order to empty, clean and refill the cell , there should be also inlet/outlet hole/thin glass tube.

My advice to you is, stick with the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, you made a best possible choice. It is the most fundamental  electrical characterization method and the proper numerical analysis leads to a complete characterization of your system under study , unmatched by any other methods (old and/or new). The electrical material parameters include the mobile charge densities, their mobilities, the dielectric constant(response function) and all relevant interface characteristics, inclusive the metal electrode-liquid sample redox reactions. Here perhaps Arthur and I see things somewhat differently. But of course, you learn a lot about charge carrier dynamics on the way.

I hope this helps you on the way.

with bdest regards

Petr

Thanks a lot Petr

Thanks to all...actually my sample is solid (composites)..i will try..