Iontronic microscopy of a tungsten microelectrode: “seeing” ionic currents under an optical microscope

Zhu Zhang; Sanli Faez

doi:10.1039/d3fd00040k

Iontronic microscopy of a tungsten microelectrode: “seeing” ionic currents under an optical microscope

Zhu Zhang^*, Sanli Faez

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

Abstract

Optical methods for monitoring electrochemical reactions at an interface are advantageous because of their table-top setup and ease of integration into reactors. Here we apply EDL-modulation microscopy to one of the main components of amperometric measurement devices: a microelectrode. We present experimental measurements of the EDL-modulation contrast from the tip of a tungsten microelectrode at various electrochemical potentials inside a ferrocene-dimethanol Fe(MeOH)₂ solution. Using the combination of the dark-field scattering microscope and the lock-in detection technique, we measure the phase and amplitude of local ion-concentration oscillations in response to an AC potential as the electrode potential is scanned through the redox-activity window of the dissolved species. We present the amplitude and phase map of this response, as such this method can be used to study the spatial and temporal variations of the ion-flux due to an electrochemical reaction close to metallic and semiconducting objects of general geometry. We discuss the advantages and possible extensions of using this microscopy method for wide-field imaging of ionic currents.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	426-440
Number of pages	15
Journal	Faraday Discussions
Volume	246
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1039/d3fd00040k
Publication status	Published - 6 Apr 2023

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 The Royal Society of Chemistry.

Funding

We thank Allard P. Mosk, Serge Lemay, Frédéric Kanoufi, Jean-François Lemineur, Louis Godeffroy and Haolan Tao for fruitful discussions. We thank Paul Jurrius, Dante Killian, Aron Opheij and Dave J. van den Heuvel for technical support. We thank Microelectrodes Ltd for providing the tungsten microelectrode. This research was supported by the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO grant 680.91.16.03), China Scholarship Council (CSC 201806890015).

Funders	Funder number
Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek	680.91.16.03
China Scholarship Council	CSC 201806890015

Access to Document

10.1039/d3fd00040kLicence: CC BY-NC

d3fd00040kFinal published version, 1.98 MBLicence: CC BY-NC

Cite this

@article{233b1095a5994e6aaf61820630eeeb64,

title = "Iontronic microscopy of a tungsten microelectrode: “seeing” ionic currents under an optical microscope",

abstract = "Optical methods for monitoring electrochemical reactions at an interface are advantageous because of their table-top setup and ease of integration into reactors. Here we apply EDL-modulation microscopy to one of the main components of amperometric measurement devices: a microelectrode. We present experimental measurements of the EDL-modulation contrast from the tip of a tungsten microelectrode at various electrochemical potentials inside a ferrocene-dimethanol Fe(MeOH)2 solution. Using the combination of the dark-field scattering microscope and the lock-in detection technique, we measure the phase and amplitude of local ion-concentration oscillations in response to an AC potential as the electrode potential is scanned through the redox-activity window of the dissolved species. We present the amplitude and phase map of this response, as such this method can be used to study the spatial and temporal variations of the ion-flux due to an electrochemical reaction close to metallic and semiconducting objects of general geometry. We discuss the advantages and possible extensions of using this microscopy method for wide-field imaging of ionic currents.",

author = "Zhu Zhang and Sanli Faez",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2023 The Royal Society of Chemistry.",

year = "2023",

month = apr,

day = "6",

doi = "10.1039/d3fd00040k",

language = "English",

volume = "246",

pages = "426--440",

journal = "Faraday Discussions",

issn = "1359-6640",

publisher = "Royal Society of Chemistry",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Iontronic microscopy of a tungsten microelectrode

T2 - “seeing” ionic currents under an optical microscope

AU - Zhang, Zhu

AU - Faez, Sanli

PY - 2023/4/6

Y1 - 2023/4/6

N2 - Optical methods for monitoring electrochemical reactions at an interface are advantageous because of their table-top setup and ease of integration into reactors. Here we apply EDL-modulation microscopy to one of the main components of amperometric measurement devices: a microelectrode. We present experimental measurements of the EDL-modulation contrast from the tip of a tungsten microelectrode at various electrochemical potentials inside a ferrocene-dimethanol Fe(MeOH)2 solution. Using the combination of the dark-field scattering microscope and the lock-in detection technique, we measure the phase and amplitude of local ion-concentration oscillations in response to an AC potential as the electrode potential is scanned through the redox-activity window of the dissolved species. We present the amplitude and phase map of this response, as such this method can be used to study the spatial and temporal variations of the ion-flux due to an electrochemical reaction close to metallic and semiconducting objects of general geometry. We discuss the advantages and possible extensions of using this microscopy method for wide-field imaging of ionic currents.

AB - Optical methods for monitoring electrochemical reactions at an interface are advantageous because of their table-top setup and ease of integration into reactors. Here we apply EDL-modulation microscopy to one of the main components of amperometric measurement devices: a microelectrode. We present experimental measurements of the EDL-modulation contrast from the tip of a tungsten microelectrode at various electrochemical potentials inside a ferrocene-dimethanol Fe(MeOH)2 solution. Using the combination of the dark-field scattering microscope and the lock-in detection technique, we measure the phase and amplitude of local ion-concentration oscillations in response to an AC potential as the electrode potential is scanned through the redox-activity window of the dissolved species. We present the amplitude and phase map of this response, as such this method can be used to study the spatial and temporal variations of the ion-flux due to an electrochemical reaction close to metallic and semiconducting objects of general geometry. We discuss the advantages and possible extensions of using this microscopy method for wide-field imaging of ionic currents.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85165307045&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1039/d3fd00040k

DO - 10.1039/d3fd00040k

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85165307045

SN - 1359-6640

VL - 246

SP - 426

EP - 440

JO - Faraday Discussions

JF - Faraday Discussions

ER -

Iontronic microscopy of a tungsten microelectrode: “seeing” ionic currents under an optical microscope

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Funding

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this