Scanning electrochemical microscopy methods (SECM) and ion-selective microelectrodes for corrosion studies

Abstract

Over the last 30 years, scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM) has become a fundamental technique in corrosion research. With its high spatial resolution and its ability to study local electrochemistry, it contributes essentially to the understanding of corrosion processes. By using selective micro- and nano-sensors, concentration profiles of different corrosion relevant species, from protons to metal ions, can be established. This review provides a comprehensive overview about SECM based techniques and discusses various types of microsensors, including materials selection and preparation techniques, and it provides extensive tables on redox-couples for specific corrosion research applications.