Potentiostat/galvanostat for in situ electrochemical spectromicroscopy at the Canadian Light Source

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

The study of electrochemical processes occurring at electrified solid-liquid interfaces remains one of the most challenging tasks. Most physical methods used nowadays for the characterization of interfaces operate in conditions where the electrode is removed from the electrolyte and potential control is lost (ex situ conditions). Obviously, the conditions prevailing in such ex situ measurements are different from those relevant to most electrochemical systems, where the electrode is immersed in an electrolyte and the electrode potential is controlled. Over the last years, there has been an increasing tendency to develop experimental methods for in situ studies, with the electrode under study immersed in the electrolyte and under potential control. The two applicants have extended such studies to include X-ray absorption on a fine spatial scale of electrified interfaces through their achievement of a working electrochemical cell in a scanning X-ray transmission X-ray microscope (STXM). There is a real possibility to fully exploit the potential of in situ electrochemical STXM studies by developing the necessary infrastructure at the CLS. The STXM aspect of the project is already taking care of by the beamline scientist. However, exploiting the full potential of in situ electrochemical STXM will require a dedicated potentiostat/galvanostat at the CLS. Funds are requested for the purchase of a potentiostat/galvanostast that will be used to perform in situ electrochemical Scanning Transmission X-ray Microscopy (STXM). The instrument will be stationned at the Canadian Light Source (CLS) and will be used at the soft X-ray spectromicroscopy  beamline. Many electrochemical studies are planned for the CLS STXM  facility, including (i) studies of reversible and irreversible electrode processes as well as electrolyte, anion and cation transport issues under potential control, (ii) issues related to thin film electrodeposition, oxide formation and growth, electrochemical reversibility,  (iii) corrosion-related processes, and (iv) size-dependent reactivity in nanocluster and thin films.