Application of Scanning Tunneling Microscopy in Electrocatalysis and Electrochemistry

Haifeng Feng; Xun Xu; Yi Du; Shi Xue Dou

doi:10.1007/s41918-020-00074-3

Electrochemical Energy Reviews ›› 2021, Vol. 4 ›› Issue (2) : 249 -268. DOI: 10.1007/s41918-020-00074-3

Review Article

Application of Scanning Tunneling Microscopy in Electrocatalysis and Electrochemistry

Haifeng Feng ¹^,²
, Xun Xu ¹^,²
, Yi Du ¹^,²
, Shi Xue Dou ¹^,²^,^d

Author information +

¹Institute for Superconducting and Electronic Materials, Australian Institute for Innovative Materials, University of Wollongong, 2500, Wollongong, NSW, Australia

²BUAA-UOW Joint Research Centre, Beihang University, 100191, Haidian District, Beijing, China

^d shi@uow.edu.au

Haifeng Feng

received his Ph.D in the Institute for Superconducting and Electronic Materials (ISEM), at University of Wollongong in 2018. He currently works as a postdoc fellow in the STM group in ISEM. His major research interests include surface science, scanning probe microscopy and its applications on 2D materials and surface catalysis.

Xun Xu

is currently a senior research fellow in the Institute for Superconducting and Electronic Materials at University of Wollongong. His research interests cover the synthesis and characterization of two-dimensional materials, superconductors and liquid metals.

Yi Du

received his Ph.D. degree from the Institute for Superconducting and Electronic Materials at University of Wollongong in 2011. His research interests include surface physics and chemistry, two-dimensional materials, and catalysis studied by using scanning tunneling microscopy and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy.

Shi Xue Dou

is a Distinguished Professor of Institute for Superconducting and Electronic Materials (ISEM) at Australian Institute of Innovative Materials, University of Wollongong. He was elected as a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Science and Engineering in 1994. He was awarded a Ph.D. by Dalhousie University, Canada, in 1984 and a D.Sc. by the University of New South Wales in 1998 and three Australian Professorial Fellowships by Australian Research Council in 1993, 2002 and 2007. He received the Australian Government’s Centenary Medal in 2003, the Engineering Excellence Award highly commended in 2006, finalist of Eureka Award for Science Leadership in 2010 and finalist of Eureka Award for mentoring in 2013, Vice-Chancellors Senior Excellence Award in 2008, Vice-Chancellor Outstanding Partnership Award in 2012, Life Achievement award from ASTS in 2018 and Australian Order of Member (AM) in 2019. He is program leader for the ongoing Automotive CRC 2020 and the ARENA Smart Sodium Storage System program.

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Abstract

Abstract

Scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) has gained increasing attention in the field of electrocatalysis due to its ability to reveal electrocatalyst surface structures down to the atomic level in either ultra-high-vacuum (UHV) or harsh electrochemical conditions. The detailed knowledge of surface structures, surface electronic structures, surface active sites as well as the interaction between surface adsorbates and electrocatalysts is highly beneficial in the study of electrocatalytic mechanisms and for the rational design of electrocatalysts. Based on this, this review will discuss the application of STM in the characterization of electrocatalyst surfaces and the investigation of electrochemical interfaces between electrocatalyst surfaces and reactants. Based on different operating conditions, UHV-STM and STM in electrochemical environments (EC-STM) are discussed separately. This review will also present emerging techniques including high-speed EC-STM, scanning noise microscopy and tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy.

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Haifeng Feng, Xun Xu, Yi Du, Shi Xue Dou. Application of Scanning Tunneling Microscopy in Electrocatalysis and Electrochemistry. Electrochemical Energy Reviews, 2021, 4(2): 249-268 DOI:10.1007/s41918-020-00074-3