Applications of Scanning Electrochemical Microscopy to Novel Electrochemical Studies

德克萨斯大学奥斯汀分校的Allen J. Bard教授得到了分析和表面化学项目的支持，以进一步应用扫描电化学显微镜（SECM）。研究的一个领域是集中在集成微移液点胶尖端的SECM系统的开发上。集成系统使SECM尖端功能，如检测、探针定位和试剂生成，与本地化的皮升分配解决方案相结合。技术的进步扩大了SECM的应用范围，包括表面图案、组合电催化剂发现和生物活性物种的空间测绘。另一个研究领域涉及探测1-20纳米范围内单粒子水平的电催化剂。重点是氧还原和氢氧化，并进行测量异质电子转移率的功能的颗粒大小。其他研究领域包括通过电极上的单层快速电子转移，由含有氧化还原活性基团的聚合物“连接”的酶薄膜中的电荷传输，作为电子传输继电器，以及用于氧还原的酶仿生催化剂的筛选。对于前者，提供分子线模型的DNA和分子系统具有特殊的意义。巴德小组通过扫描电化学显微镜的应用所取得的进步正在影响着重要的技术领域，例如通过发现可用于燃料电池和空气电池的新型电催化剂而产生的能源领域。该研究也适用于传感器的开发和单细胞水平生物细胞研究的新方法。

Professor Allen J. Bard of the University of Texas at Austin is supported by the Analytical and Surface Chemistry program to further applications of the scanning electrochemical microscope (SECM). One area of study is focusing on the development of SECM systems that integrate a micropipet dispensing tip. The integrated system is enabling SECM tip capabilities, such as detection, probe positioning and reagent generation, to be combined with localized picoliter dispensing of solutions. Advances are broadening the scope of SECM applications to include surface patterning, combinatorial electrocatalyst discovery and spatial mapping of biologically active species. Another area of investigation involves probing electrocatalysts in the 1-20 nm range at the level of a single particle. Emphasis is on oxygen reduction and hydrogen oxidation and carrying out measurements of heterogeneous electron transfer rates as functions of particle size. Additional areas of study include fast electron transfer through monolayers on electrodes, charge transport in thin layer films of enzyme "wired" by polymer containing redox active groups that serve as electron transport relays and screening of enzyme biomimetic catalysts for oxygen reduction. For the former, DNA and molecular systems that provide models for molecular wires are of special interest. Advances being made by the Bard group through applications of the scanning electrochemical microscope are impacting areas of technological importance, such as the field of energy resources through the discovery of new electrocatalysts that can be used in fuel cells and air batteries. The research is also applicable to the development of sensors and new approaches to studies of biological cells at the single cell level.