Scanning Electrochemical Microscopy

Scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM) is a scanning probe technique, where local information on the electrochemical activity of organic and inorganic surfaces can be obtained via reactions at an ultramicroelectrode (UME) in a solution.

In high resolution SECM, UMEs with effective electrode radii down to 100 nm are used to generate images with a spatial resolution in the sub-µm range. In a recent work we were able to image individual gold nanowires [1].

In another project, forced convection was generated within the SECM system via an high precision stirring device or via a flow of the mediator solution [2-4]. Applying these Hydrodynamic SECM setups enables the formation of a constant diffusion layer around macroscopic substrate electrodes. This is mandatory for time-independent measurements when operating the SECM in the so-called substrate generation/tip collection (SG/TC) mode, where the measured species at the UME is beforehand generated at the substrate.

In addition, SECM is applied to the study of copper electrodeposition on wafer specimen [5].

Publications:

[1] P. Vatsyayan, C. Iffelsberger, C. Mayorga, F. M. Matysik, Anal. Methods 2016, 8, 6847–6855.

[2] C. Iffelsberger, P. Vatsyayan, F. –M. Matysik, Anal. Chem. 2017, 89, 1658-1664.

[3] T. Raith, C. Iffelsberger, S. Wert, F. –M. Matysik, Monatsh. Chem. 2018, 149,  1671–1677.

[4] C. Iffelsberger, T. Raith, P. Vatsyayan, V. Vyskocil, F.-M. Matysik, Electrochimica Acta 2018, 281, 494-501.

[5] P. Hanekamp, W. Robl, F.-M. Matysik, J. Appl. Electrochem. 2017, 47, 1305-1312.

Our recent publications can be found here.

If you are interested to join us working on one of the above projects, please contact Prof. Dr. Frank-Michael Matysik.