Electrodeposition on the Nanometer Scale In Situ Scanning Tunneling Microscopy

Electrodeposition on the Nanometer Scale In Situ Scanning Tunneling Microscopy 

Nanocrystalline materials have received extensive attention since they show unique mechanical, electronic and chemical properties. As the particle size approaches the nanoscale, the number of atoms in the grain boundaries increases, leading to dramatic effects on the physical properties and on the catalytic activity of the bulk material. Nowadays, there is a wide variety of methods for the preparation of nanocrystalline metals such as thermal spraying, sputter deposition, vapor deposition and electrodeposition. The electrodeposition process is commercially attractive since it can be performed at room temperature and the experimental set-up is less demanding. Furthermore, the particle size can be adjusted over a wide range by controlling the experimental parameters such as overvoltage, current density, composition, and temperature (see Chapter 8). 

Apart from our in situ STM studies in ionic liquids, there are a few papers dealing with this subject, especially in chloroaluminate ionic liquids, although air- and water-stable ionic liquids are now commercially available (see for example Refs. [1-3]). As chloroaluminate ionic liquids are extremely hygroscopic, in situ STM 

Electrodeposition from Ionic Liquids. Edited by F. Endres, D. MacFarlane, A. Abbott Copyright 2008 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH Co. KGaA, Weinheim ISBN 978-3-527-31565-9 

In this chapter we present a few selected results on the nanoscale electrodeposition of some important metals and semiconductors, namely, Al, Ta and Si, in air- and water-stable ionic liquids. Here we focus on the investigation of the electrode/electrolyte interface during electrodeposition with the in situ scanning tunneling microscope and we would like to draw attention to the fascinating 

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Electrodeposition on the Nanometer Scale In Situ Scanning Tunneling Microscopy E / V vs. reduction of the organic cation... 

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