Sealed Electrochemical Microcell

 

Dynamic studies in the realm of electrochemical materials science, able to follow morphochemical couplings under growth and operation conditions, are crucial to several technologies, among which are the following: electrochemical energetics (fuel cells, batteries, and supercapacitors), energy harvesting, catalysis, biosensing, and nanofabrication.
 
B. Bozzini et al., Anal. Chem. 2014, 86, 664−670.






In this paper we report on the fabrication and testing of a novel concept of sealed electrochemical microcell for in situ soft X-ray microspectroscopy in transmission, dedicated for nonvacuum compatible electrolytes. The microcell, fabricated using ultraviolet lithography, at variance with previous versions of electrochemical wet cells, that featured an optical window glued on top of the electrode system and a very limited electrolyte volume, the device presented here is a single solid block based around a microfabricated channel with fixed optical windows and apt for microfluidic work.
The first electrochemical experiments with this new cell explore the electrochemical growth of a Co-polypyrrole, a composite electrocatalyst material with promising performance to replace the expensive Pt catalyst in fuel-cell oxygen electrodes. 
 
Morphological and chemical-state distributions of Co codeposited with polypyrrole has been followed as a function of time and position, yielding unprecedented information on the processes relevant to the synthesis of this catalyst.

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Fabrication of  a Sealed Electrochemical Microcell for in Situ X-ray Miscospectroscopy and Testing with in Situ Co-Polypyrrole Composite Electrodeposition for Pt-Free Oxygen Electrocatalysis;

B. Bozzini, A. Gianoncelli, P. Bocchetta, S. Dal Zilio, G. Kourousias;
Analitycal Chemistry 2014 , 86, 664-670;
doi.org/10.1021/ac403004v

 
Last Updated on Thursday, 06 February 2014 11:01