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

带电固液界面电化学过程的研究仍然是最具挑战性的任务之一。目前用于表征界面的大多数物理方法都是在电极从电解质中取出并且失去电位控制的条件下（非原位条件）操作的。显然，这种非原位测量中普遍存在的条件与大多数电化学系统相关的条件不同，其中电极浸入电解质中并且电极电位受到控制。在过去的几年里，有一个日益增长的趋势，发展的实验方法，在现场研究，与电极的研究浸没在电解质和电位控制。这两个申请人已经扩展了这样的研究，包括通过在扫描X射线透射X射线显微镜（STXM）中实现工作电化学电池，在带电界面的精细空间尺度上的X射线吸收。有一个真实的的可能性，充分利用潜力，在原位电化学STXM研究开发必要的基础设施在CLS。该项目的STXM方面已经由光束线科学家负责。然而，利用原位电化学STXM的全部潜力将需要在CLS处的专用恒电位仪/恒电流仪。请求提供资金，用于购买将用于进行现场电化学扫描透射X射线显微镜检查的恒电位仪/恒电流仪。该仪器将被安置在加拿大光源（CLS），并将用于软X射线光谱显微镜光束线。计划对CLS STXM设施进行许多电化学研究，包括（i）可逆和不可逆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的研究，（ii）与薄膜电沉积、氧化物形成和生长、电化学可逆性相关的问题，（iii）与腐蚀相关的过程，以及（iv）纳米团簇和薄膜中与尺寸相关的反应性。

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.