infocus #57 March 2020 Scanning Electrochemical Microscopy: A local view of electrochemistry

DOI: 10.22443/rms.inf.1.182

This branch of scanning probe microscopy is an exciting way to correlate local features with the electrochemical properties of a sample, allowing local insight into a sample not possible otherwise. While the field of scanning probe electrochemistry encompasses a number of different techniques which provide complementary information on everything from sample topography to activity, this article will focus on Scanning ElectroChemical Microscopy (SECM), which is by far the most popular technique in this field. SECM is a chemically selective microscopy which measures the interaction of a sample with a mediator in solution using a probe in close proximity to the sample. Using SECM it is possible to locally investigate sample activity, conductivity, and topography. It is well suited to studies in biology, novel materials, corrosion, and catalysis, amongst others.