The evaluation of surface diffusion coefficients of gold and platinum atoms at electrochemical interfaces from combined STM-SEM imaging and electrochemical techniques

Abstract

A simple method is presented for measuring the surface diffusion coefficients of Au and Pt atoms at electrodispersed electrodes of the same metals in contact with 0.5M H₂SO₄. The technique is based upon the time dependence of the surface roughness factor of electrodispersed metal overlayers. The method requires a model for the surface roughness of the metal structure. The model is deduced from microscopic measurements by a STM integrated into a conventional SEM microscope. This allows the relationship between the roughness factor and the area of the surface structure to be obtained. For Au and Pt in contact with an electrolyte solution, the values of our diffusion coefficients are higher than those reported in vacuum at the same temperature.