Scanning Tunneling Microscope

Abstract

The Scanning Tunneling Microscope (STM) is a scanning probe microscopy tool that uses the tunnelling effect of quantum mechanics to directly observe the surface structure of a material and obtain high-resolution images. STM has gained widespread interest due to its simple structure, its ability to perform in a wide range of operating environments, and its extremely high resolution. This chapter describes the working principle of STM and some of its applications in the field of electrocatalysis, including the characterization of material surfaces, and the detection of catalytically active sites.