Electrochemical Scanning Tunneling Microscopy

Authors

  • Knud Gentz Institute of Physical and Theoretical Chemistry University of Bonn, Wegelerstr. 12, D-53115 Bonn, Germany
  • Klaus Wandelt Institute of Physical and Theoretical Chemistry University of Bonn, Germany; Institute of Experimental Physics Plaza Maxa Borna 9, 50-204 Wroclaw, Poland. k-wandelt@uni-bonn.de

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.2533/chimia.2012.44

Keywords:

Anion adsorption, Electrochemistry, Metal electrodes, Scanning tunneling microscope, Solid–liquid interface

Abstract

The electrochemical scanning tunneling microscope was the first tool for the investigation of solid–liquid interfaces that allowed in situ real space imaging of electrode surfaces at the atomic level. Therefore it quickly became an important addition to the repertoire of methods for the determination of the local surface structure as well as the dynamics of reactions and processes taking place at surfaces in an electrolytic environment. In this short overview we present several examples to illustrate the powerful capabilities of the EC-STM, including the observation of clean metal surfaces as well as the adsorption of thin metal layers, specifically adsorbed anions and non-specifically adsorbed organic cations. In several cases the electrode potential has a significant influence on structure and reactivity of the surface that can be explained by the observations made with the EC-STM.

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Published

2012-02-29