Chemical Society Seminar: Patrick Unwin - Nanoscale Electrochemical Imaging
From the very earliest days of electrochemistry, scientists have sought ways to visualise processes at electrochemical interfaces, a major theme which has continued to the present day. Recent developments in electrochemical scanned probe microscopy techniques, mostly in the past 5 years, now allow electrochemical fluxes to be probed and manipulated with unprecedented resolution, opening up new vistas on electrochemicalinterfaces. In this lecture, I will provide a general overview of the importance of imaging in electrochemistry and interfacial science, and introduce new electrochemical imaging techniques. I will explain why such methods are important, and highlight the new information they provide, not only on electrochemical processes, but also in understanding cellular phenomena. Looking forward, the field of electrochemical imaging is at an exciting nexus: the concept and methods of interfacial flux imaging are expected to gain significant momentum in materials science and the life sciences, where structure-activity issues at the nanoscale are paramount.
Recent publications:
1) Electrochemistry of nanoparticles. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2014, 53, 3558-3586.
2) Nanoscale visualization of redox activity at lithium-ion battery cathodes. Nature Comm. 2014, 5, 5450.