There is considerable interest in understanding the interaction and activity of single entities, such as (electro)catalytic nanoparticles (NPs), with (electrode) surfaces. Through the use of a high bandwidth, high signal/noise measurement system, NP impacts on an electrode surface are detected and analyzed in unprecedented detail, revealing considerable new mechanistic information on the process. Taking the electrocatalytic oxidation of H2O2 at ruthenium oxide (RuOx) NPs as an example, the rise time of current-time transients for NP impacts is consistent with a hydrodynamic trapping model for the arrival of a NP with a distance-dependent NP diffusion-coefficient. NP release from the electrode appears to be aided by propulsion from the electrocatalytic reaction at the NP. High frequency NP impacts, orders of magnitude larger than can be accounted for by a single pass diffusive flux of NPs, are observed that indicate the repetitive trapping and release of an individual NP that has not previously recognized. The experiments and models described could readily be applied to other systems and serve as a powerful platform for detailed analysis of NP impacts.

Nanopipettes are playing an increasingly prominent role in nanoscience, for sizing, sequencing, delivery, detection, and mapping interfacial properties. Herein, the question of how to best resolve topography and surface charge effects when using a nanopipette as a probe for mapping in scanning ion conductance microscopy (SICM) is addressed. It is shown that, when a bias modulated (BM) SICM scheme is used, it is possible to map the topography faithfully, while also allowing surface charge to be estimated. This is achieved by applying zero net bias between the electrode in the SICM tip and the one in bulk solution for topographical mapping, with just a small harmonic perturbation of the potential to create an AC current for tip positioning. Then, a net bias is applied, whereupon the ion conductance current becomes sensitive to surface charge. Practically this is optimally implemented in a hopping-cyclic voltammetry mode where the probe is approached at zero net bias at a series of pixels across the surface to reach a defined separation, and then a triangular potential waveform is applied and the current response is recorded. Underpinned with theoretical analysis, including finite element modeling of the DC and AC components of the ionic current flowing through the nanopipette tip, the powerful capabilities of this approach are demonstrated with the probing of interfacial acid–base equilibria and high resolution imaging of surface charge heterogeneities, simultaneously with topography, on modified substrates.

The mechanism and kinetics of the electrochemical nucleation and growth of Pd nanoparticles (NPs) on carbon electrodes have been investigated using a microscale meniscus cell on both highly oriented pyrolytic graphite and a carbon coated transmission electron microscopy (TEM) grid. Using a microscale meniscus cell, it is possible to monitor the initial stage of electrodeposition electrochemically, while the ability to measure directly on a TEM grid allows subsequent high resolution microscopy characterization which provides detailed nanoscopic and kinetic information. TEM analysis clearly shows that Pd is electrodeposited in the form of NPs (approximately 1 − 2 nm diameter) that aggregate into extensive nanocrystal-type structures comprised of NPs. This gives rise to a high NP density. This mechanism is shown to be consistent with double potential step chronoamperometry measurements on HOPG, where a forward step generates electrodeposited Pd and the reverse step oxidizes the surface of the electrodeposited Pd to Pd oxide. The charge passed in these transients can be used to estimate the amounts of NPs electrodeposited and their size. Good agreement is found between the electrochemically determined parameters and the microscopy measurements. A model for electrodeposition based on the nucleation of NPs that aggregate to form stable structures is proposed that is used to analyze data and extract kinetics. This simple model reveals considerable information on the NP nucleation rate, the importance of aggregation in the deposition process and quantitative values for the aggregation rate.

Dissolution kinetics of the (110) face of salicylic acid in aqueous solution is determined by hopping intermittent contact-scanning electrochemical microscopy (HIC-SECM) using a 2.5 µm diameter platinum ultramicroelectrode (UME). The method operates by translating the probe UME towards the surface at a series of positions across the crystal and inducing dissolution via the reduction of protons to hydrogen, which titrates the weak acid and promotes the dissolution reaction, but only when the UME is close to the crystal. Most importantly, as dissolution is only briefly and transiently induced at each location, the initial dissolution kinetics of an as-grown single crystal surface can be measured, rather than a surface which has undergone significant dissolution (pitting), as in other techniques. Mass transport and kinetics in the system are modelled using finite element method simulations which allows dissolution rate constants to be evaluated. It is found that the kinetics of an ‘as-grown’ crystal are much slower than for a surface that has undergone partial bulk dissolution (mimicking conventional techniques), which can be attributed to a dramatic change in surface morphology as identified by atomic force microscopy (AFM). The ‘as-grown’ (110) surface presents extended terrace structures to the solution which evidently dissolve slowly, whereas a partially dissolved surface has extensive etch features and step sites which greatly enhance dissolution kinetics. This means that crystals such as salicylic acid will show time-dependent dissolution kinetics (fluxes) that are strongly dependent on crystal history, and this needs to be taken into account to fully understand dissolution.

Voltammetric scanning electrochemical cell microscopy (SECCM) incorporates cyclic voltammetry measurements in the SECCM imaging protocol, by recording electrochemical currents in a wide potential window at each pixel in a map. This provides much more information compared to traditional fixed potential imaging. Data can be represented as movies (hundreds of frames) of current (over a surface region) at a series of potentials and are highly revealing of subtle variations in electrode activity. Furthermore, by combining SECCM data with other forms of microscopy, e.g. scanning electron microscopy and electron backscatter diffraction data, it is possible to directly relate the current-voltage characteristics to spatial position and surface structure. In this work we use a ‘hopping mode’, where the SECCM pipet probe is translated towards the surface at a series of positions until meniscus contact. Small amounts of residue left on the surface, upon probe retraction, demark the precise area of each measurement. We use these techniques to study hydrazine oxidation on a polycrystalline platinum substrate in air and in a deaerated environment. In both cases, the detected faradaic current shows a structural dependence on the surface crystallographic orientation. Significantly, in the presence of oxygen (aerated solution) the electrochemical current decreases strongly for almost all grains (crystallographic orientations). The results highlight the flexibility of voltammetric SECCM for electrochemical imaging and present important implications for hydrazine electroanalysis.

The electron transfer (ET) kinetics of three redox couples in aqueous solution, IrCl₆^2−/3−, Ru(NH₃)₆^3+/2+ and Fe(CN)₆^4−/3−, on different grades of highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) have been investigated in a droplet-cell setup. This simple configuration allows measurements to be made on a very short time scale after cleavage of HOPG, so as to minimise possible effects from (atmospheric) contamination, and with minimal, if any, change to the HOPG surface. However, the droplet-cell geometry differs from more conventional electrochemical setups and is more prone to ohmic drop effects. The magnitude of ohmic drop is elucidated by modelling the electric field in a typical droplet configuration. These simulations enable ohmic effects to be minimised practically by optimising the positions of the counter and reference electrodes in the droplet, and by using a concentration ratio of electrolyte to redox species that is higher than used conventionally. It is shown that the ET kinetics for all of the redox species studied herein is fast on all grades of HOPG and lower limits for ET rate constants are deduced. For IrCl₆^2−/3− and Fe(CN)₆^4−/3−, ET on HOPG is at least as fast as on Pt electrodes, and for Ru(NH₃)₆^3+/2+ ET kinetics on HOPG is comparable to Pt electrodes. Given the considerable difference in the density of electronic states (DOS) between graphite and metal electrodes, the results tend to suggest that the DOS of the electrode does not play an important role in the ET kinetics of these outer-sphere redox couples over the range of values encompassing HOPG and metals. This can be rationalised because the DOS of all of these different electrode materials is orders of magnitude larger than those of the redox species in solution, so that with strong electronic coupling between the redox couple and electrode (adiabatic electron transfer) the electronic structure of the electrode becomes a relatively unimportant factor in the ET kinetics.