Electrochemistry equipment manufacturers frequently find themselves in the position where they are providing guidance and troubleshooting advice to graduate students and industry technicians. In addition to these expected services, the role we find ourselves often playing is auxiliary academic advisor. Over the years, our electrochemists have collected numerous anecdotes about a variety of apparent research catastrophes, and graduate advisors may be personally surprised to learn the kinds of stories we have heard. While there are certainly instances when reported problems are valid and require in-depth technical assistance with the instrument, it is not uncommon for the problem to be traced to a gap in fundamental or practical electrochemical knowledge.
When an issue is encountered in an electrochemical experiment, the underlying problem is either the fault of the chemistry or the instrument. This creates tension between the student or technician and the electrochemical equipment manufacturer, and we find that blame is often reflexively passed onto us during a phone call or email exchange. However, the simplicity, and sometimes unintentional comedy, of many of these issues may suggest the heart of the problem is fear of asking one’s advisor, or of damaging equipment from improper use.
In this presentation, we will share some of the recurring problems we encounter from bewildered students and technicians across the world, and use these stories to alert lab directors about some common deficiencies we have observed. While we are sympathetic to the varying methods, busy schedules, and tight deadlines of the average academic advisor (or industry supervisor), our experience of repeatedly filling in basic knowledge gaps suggests there may some simple, practical steps that can be taken with those who are beginning electrochemical research to build a strong foundation for future success.