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

研究带电固液界面的电化学过程仍然是最具挑战性的任务之一。当今用于表征界面的大多数物理方法在电极从电解液中移除并且失去电位控制的条件下工作(非原位条件)。显然，这种非原位测量的普遍条件与大多数电化学系统不同，在大多数电化学系统中，电极浸泡在电解液中，电极电位受到控制。在过去的几年里，越来越多的人倾向于开发用于现场研究的实验方法，将被研究的电极浸入电解液中并在电位控制下进行研究。这两位申请者通过在扫描X射线透射式X射线显微镜(STXM)中实现了工作的电化学池，将这种研究扩展到包括带电界面的精细空间尺度上的X射线吸收。通过在CLS发展必要的基础设施，完全有可能充分发挥现场电化学STXM研究的潜力。该项目的STXM方面已经由光束线科学家负责。然而，充分利用原位电化学STXM的潜力将需要在CLS配备专用的恒电位器/恒电流计。请拨经费购买恒电位仪/恒电流计，用于进行现场电化学扫描X射线显微镜检查。该仪器将驻扎在加拿大光源(CLS)，并将用于软X射线光谱显微镜和光束线。计划为CLS STXM实验室设施进行许多电化学研究，包括(I)研究可逆和不可逆的电极过程以及电位控制下的电解质、阴离子和阳离子传输问题，(Ii)与薄膜电沉积、氧化物的形成和生长、电化学可逆性有关的问题，以及(Iii)与腐蚀相关的过程，以及(Iv)纳米团簇和薄膜中的尺寸依赖的反应性。

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.