In-situ X-Ray Scattering Studies of Electrochemical Systems
In the last decade, synchrotron surface x-ray diffraction has been a critical tool for determining the potential dependence and stability of specific surface structures in electrolyte under reaction conditions. In-situ diffraction is a unique tool that allows structural characterisation of the interfacial atomic structure including subsurface and ordering on the electrolyte side of the interface.
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We aim to understand the structure-function relationship of the electrochemical interface, thus investigating structures of metal electrodes in-situ gives unique information how changes in structure and morphology affect electrochemical properties. In addition through the structural characterisation, bond lengths can be extracted which give indirect information about the chemical nature of surface and ad-atoms.
Studies have been made of systems relevant to electrocatalysis, batteries and electroplating processes. The experiments involve physical phenomena such as surface reconstruction, atomic layer deposition, surface phase transitions, surface segregation and chemical reactions.
We recently extended the in-situ characterisation to resonant surface x-ray diffraction that gives direct information about the chemical properties (e.g. charge distribution). Experiments are conducted by scanning the x-ray energy of the incident beam through the edge of an element present at the electrode while recording the diffracted intensity at a key point in reciprocal space.
The next stage in this project is to further investigate temperature effects in electrochemistry (link to the other section) and to extend our studies to non-aqueous electrolytes.
Experiments are carried out at the EPSRC mid-range facility beamline, XMaS, at the ESRF but also at other beamlines at the ESRF, the APS, the SLS and the Diamond Light Source.
For further information watch the video of Professor Chris Lucas talking about Structure at the Electrochemical Interface.
Personnel: Dr Yvonne Grunder, Professor Christopher Lucas