Some metals, such as platinum, readily adsorb carbon monoxide, which is usually undesirable as it results in catalyst poisoning.
However, the strong affinity of CO to such catalysts also presents an opportunity: since carbon monoxide is a small molecule with a strong affinity to the catalyst, a large enough amount of CO will adsorb to the entire available surface area of the catalyst. That, in turn, means that by evaluating the amount of CO adsorbed, the catalyst's available surface area can be indirectly measured.
That surface area - also known as "real surface area" or "electrochemically active surface area" - can be measured by electrochemically oxidizing the adsorbed carbon monoxide, as the charge expended in oxidizing CO is directly proportional to the amount of CO adsorbed on the surface and therefore, the surface area of the catalyst.