SECCM

Scanning electrochemical cell microscopy (SECCM) is a scanning probe technique, which shrinks the conventional electrochemical cell down to the size of a microscale droplet protruding from the tip of a capillary. The droplet is approached vertically onto the sample surface at multiple spots where electrochemical measurements such as linear sweep voltammetry (LSV), cyclic voltammetry (CV) or electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) can be performed.

Illustration of oil-immersed SECCM
Li, Y. et al. Anal. Chem. 2020. 92, 18, 12415-12422

Our group works on improving the application of SECCM on corrosion study, such as the development of oil-immersed SECCM to allow long-term experiments, the optimization of approaching parameters to obtain information of interest, and modelling of high potential scan rate SECCM PDP curves for quantitative interpretation. We primarily use SECCM to study the corrosion of metal alloys such as aluminium and stainless steel. For recent publications on the subject from our group see below:

Recent group publications

1. Zhou, H.; Chhin, D.; Li, Y. Gallant, D.; Morel, A.; Mauzeroll, J. Quantitative Interpretation of Potentiodynamic Polarization Curves Obtained at High Scan Rates in Scanning Electrochemical Cell Microscopy. Analytical Chemistry. 2024. 96, 38, 15108-15116
   
2. Grandy, L.; Yassine, S.; Lacasse, R.; Mauzeroll, J. Selective Initiation of Corrosion Pits in Stainless Steel Using Scanning Electrochemical Cell Microscopy. Analytical Chemistry. 2024. 96, 19, 7394-7400
   
3. Li, Y.; Morel, A.; Gallant, D.; Mauzeroll, J. Controlling Surface Contact, Oxygen Transport, and Pitting of Surface Oxide via Single-Channel Scanning Electrochemical Cell Microscopy. Anal. Chem. 2022, 94, 42, 14603–14610
   
4. Li, Y.; Morel, A.; Gallant, D.; Mauzeroll, J. Correlating Corrosion to Surface Grain Orientations of Polycrystalline Aluminum Alloy by Scanning Electrochemical Cell Microscopy. ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces. 2022, 14, 41, 47230-47236