Publication: Electrochemical Scanning Microwave Microscopy Reveals Ion Intercalation Dynamics and Maps Active Sites in 2D Catalyst

With this new publication, the team at Johannes Kepler University Linz introduces electrochemical scanning microwave microscopy (EC-SMM), which enables local measurement of electrochemical properties with nanometer spatial resolution and sensitivity down to atto-Ampere electrochemical currents, as a means to address the ever rising demand for eletrochemical energy storage.

The power of EC-SMM is demonstrated "by studying NiCo-layered double hydroxide flakes, revealing active site locations and providing atomistic insights into the catalytic process. EC-SMM's spatial resolution of 16 ± 1 nm allows detailed analysis of edge effects in this 2D material, including localized electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry" reads the abstract of the publication. "Coupled with advanced numerical modeling of diffusion and migration dynamics at the material interface, the findings elucidate the previously hypothesized processes responsible for localized enhancements in electrochemical activity, while pinpointing essential parameters for tuning the thermodynamics of ion intercalation and optimizing surface adsorption".

Read the full publication.