Impedance spectrometers are high-precision measuring devices that are used to determine the frequency-dependent electrical properties of materials, components or electrochemical systems. They record the impedance, i.e. the ratio of alternating voltage to alternating current, as a function of frequency. This allows conclusions to be drawn about processes such as charge transfer, diffusion or polarisation processes.

Two impedance spectrometers are available at the institute, which cover a wide range of measurement requirements. The first device is the 1260A Impedance Analyser from Solartron Analytical. With a frequency range from 10 µHz to 32 MHz and an exceptional resolution of 0.015 ppm, it enables the investigation of almost all chemical and molecular mechanisms. Its measurement accuracy of 0.1 % and resolution of up to 0.001 dB allow extremely precise analyses even at very high impedances of over 100 MΩ. The device utilises Solartron Analytical's patented single-sine correlation technology, which effectively eliminates noise and harmonic distortion. It also offers a polarisation voltage of up to ±40.95 V. The well-known ZPlot software is available for evaluation and control, which simplifies experiments and optimises throughput.

The second device, the IM6 from Zahner, covers a frequency range from 10 µHz to 8 MHz and achieves a measurement accuracy of less than 0.01 % with a resolution of 0.01 %. With an output current of ±3 A and nine expansion slots, the system can be flexibly adapted to different measurement requirements. It is characterised by ultra-high accuracy and minimal interference. The included Thales software supports a variety of standardised methods and facilitates adaptation to a wide range of experimental scenarios.

The two systems complement each other perfectly and enable comprehensive, precise characterisation of electrochemical and materials science processes across a wide frequency range.