Scanning tunneling microscopy electrolytes

Itaya K 1998 In situ scanning tunneling microscopy in electrolyte solutions Prog. Surf. Sc/. 58 121... 

The very new techniques of scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) have yet to establish themselves in the field of corrosion science. These techniques are capable of revealing surface structure to atomic resolution, and are totally undamaging to the surface. They can be used in principle in any environment in situ, even under polarization within an electrolyte. Their application to date has been chiefly to clean metal surfaces and surfaces carrying single monolayers of adsorbed material, rendering examination of the adsorption of inhibitors possible. They will indubitably find use in passive film analysis. 

Film-forming chemical reactions and the chemical composition of the film formed on lithium in nonaqueous aprotic liquid electrolytes are reviewed by Dominey [7], SEI formation on carbon and graphite anodes in liquid electrolytes has been reviewed by Dahn et al. [8], In addition to the evolution of new systems, new techniques have recently been adapted to the study of the electrode surface and the chemical and physical properties of the SEI. The most important of these are X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), SEM, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), FTIR, NMR, EPR, calorimetry, DSC, TGA, use of quartz-crystal microbalance (QCMB) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). 

Keywords Break junction Charge transport Electrolyte gate Metal nanocluster Molecular junction Scanning tunneling microscopy Scanning tunneling spectroscopy... 

Christoph, R., and Siegenthaler, H. (1988) Scanning tunneling microscopy at potential controlled electrode surfaces in electrolytic environment. Journal of Electroanalytical Chemistry, 243,... 

Fortunately, the success of surface science, optical and x-ray techniques in the last few decades has provided access for electrochemists to structural information of electrode/electrolyte interfaces. The optical and X-ray spectroscopic techniques have mainly been used in situ, i.e., in the presence of the bulk electrolyte. These techniques include EXAFS (extended x-ray absorption fine structure), SXS (surface x-ray scattering), XSff (x-ray standing wave technique, SERS (surface enhanced Raman scattering), NOM (nonlinear optical methods) IRS (infrared spectroscopy), MS (Mossbauer spectroscopy), RLS (radioactive labelling spectroscopy), STM (scanning tunneling microscopy), and... 

Surface excesses of electroactive species are often examined by methods sensitive to the faradaic reactions of the adsorbed species. Cyclic voltammetry, chronocoulometry, polarography, and thin layer methods are all useful in this regard. Discussions of their application to this type of problem are provided in Section 14.3. In addition to these electrochemical methods for studying the solid electrode/electrolyte interface, there has been intense activity in the utilization of spectroscopic and microscopic methods (e.g., surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy, infrared spectroscopy, scanning tunneling microscopy) as probes of the electrode surface region these are discussed in Chapters 16 and 17. 

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