LAUSR

Color changes on an electrode surface during the course of electrochemical processes were monitored by in situ digital video recording. The evolution of standard red, green and blue (sRGB) intensity channels extracted from digital images showed a close relationship with the electrochemical processes taking place. In particular, the derivative of the sRGB mean intensity with respect to time (dI−/dt) gave useful insights into the electrochemical mechanism. The standard deviation (std) of the sRGB intensity provided information about the color homogeneity of the studied region on the electrode surface. We selected poly(o-toluidine) electrochromism on a transparent electrode and anodic copper dissolution on an opaque electrode as examples. Independently of electrode transparency and area, we were able to separate electrochromic processes, to monitor fast electrochromic changes and to evaluate the spatial distribution of metal dissolution on a composite electrode. These results show great promise for use in innovative investigations and for fast, low-cost quality control of electrochromic devices or modified electrodes.