Electrochemical SPM fundamentals and applications

Abstract

The application of scanning probe microscopy (SPM) techniques to the study of electrochemical interfaces is discussed in this review. Experimental requirements for performing electrochemical scanning probe microscopy (EC-SPM) experiments are briefly discussed as well as their successful merger with conventional scanning probe microscopy instrumentation. Methods highlighted include electrochemical-scanning tunneling microscopy (EC-STM), electrochemicalatomic force microscopy (EC-AFM), and hybrid variants of AFM, including scanning electrochemical microscopy-atomic force microscopy (SECM-AFM) and local electrochemical impedance spectroscopy-atomic force microscopy (LEISAFM). Applications of these modern EC-SPM techniques in emerging areas of energy storage and conversion, corrosion, catalysis, and electrochemical deposition processes are underscored to emphasize the resolving power of these methods. © 2007 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.