Electrochemical AFM techniques to understand cathode topography and electrolyte solvent and solute activities
Nathan Nesbitt a, Wilson Smith a b
a Chemical and Nanoscience Center, National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Evergreen, Colorado 80401, EE. UU., Evergreen, United States
b Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, United States
Materials for Sustainable Development Conference (MATSUS)
Proceedings of nanoGe Fall Meeting 2021 (NFM21)
#SolFuel21. Solar Fuel: In-situ and operando characterization of electrified interfaces
Online, Spain, 2021 October 18th - 22nd
Organizers: Bastian Mei, Jan Philipp Hofmann and María Escudero-Escribano
Invited Speaker, Nathan Nesbitt, presentation 059
DOI: https://doi.org/10.29363/nanoge.nfm.2021.059
Publication date: 23rd September 2021

Electrified interfaces, such as electrodes for electrochemical CO2 reduction, can change their morphology as a reaction progresses and when the potential is changed. Likewise, the species in the electrolyte can change significantly while a reaction occurs. This makes operando probing important for understanding how reactions occur as these surfaces. Here, we have used electrochemical atomic force microscopy (EC-AFM) [1] and scanning electrochemical microscopy (AFM-SECM) to probe the cathode topography and the gradient in electrolyte pH near the cathode. I will discuss the experimental techniques, as well as the implications of the results on electrochemical CO2R reactors. I will focus on solvent (H2O) and solute (CO2(aq), CO(aq), OH-) activities [2], the nature of the triple-phase region in gas-diffusion electrodes (GDEs) [3], and how to optimize GDEs for selective and high current density CO2R.

Acknowledgement: This material is based on work performed by the Liquid Sunlight Alliance, which is supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, Fuels from Sunlight Hub under Award Number DE-SC0021266.

 

Disclaimer: This report was prepared as an account of work sponsored by an agency of the United States Government. Neither the United States Government nor any agency thereof, nor any of their employees, makes any warranty, express or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed, or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights. Reference herein to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States Government or any agency thereof. The views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the United States Government or any agency thereof.

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