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STM imaging of noble metal electrodes in solution under potentiostatic control
Author(s) -
Otsuka I.,
Iwasaki T.
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
journal of microscopy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.569
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1365-2818
pISSN - 0022-2720
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2818.1988.tb01390.x
Subject(s) - electrode , noble metal , scanning tunneling microscope , electrolyte , electrochemistry , dissociation (chemistry) , materials science , metal , surface diffusion , electrode potential , scanning electron microscope , crystallite , analytical chemistry (journal) , chemistry , nanotechnology , adsorption , metallurgy , composite material , chromatography
SUMMARY We have combined a three‐electrode cell arrangement with a scanning tunnelling microscope (STM) to image the surfaces of polycrystalline noble metal electrodes under potentiostatic conditions. STM imaging was made in the potential range where a tip and the electrodes are ideally polarized. We have observed on a submicron scale that the electrochemically roughened Ag electrode surface relaxed over times of 40 min at −0·16 V versus SCE in 0·1 m KCl. We have also imaged a dynamic process (formation and dissociation) of the submicron‐scale reconstruction of the Au electrode subjected to electrochemical oxidation‐reduction cycles. The results can be explained by the absorption of Cl − ions and the surface diffusion of adatoms or clusters. STM imaging under potentiostatic control leads to the discovery of phenomena occurring at solid metal/electrolyte interfaces.