Simultaneous imaging of topography and electrochemical response of (photo)electrodes, with nanoscale spatial resolution and sub-second time-scales, is crucial to unravel the correlation between structure and reactivity. This is particularly important for complex, multistep chemical reactions, such as CO2 reduction, where local physical and chemical conditions have a dramatic impact on the final products. Thus, advances in multi-functional imaging approaches play a critical role in the engineering of sustainable energy conversion devices, in particular in the context of solar fuels.
In this project Researchers aim at advancing both the hardware and software components of a unique fast SICM-SECM imaging technique, delivering a system that can be easily deployed across the EPFL community and beyond. They intend to realize a state-of-the-art high-speed SICM-SECM instrument based on recent instruments developed in the Fantner lab. Based on the expertise of Prof. Tagliabue in simulating nanoscale multiphysics phenomena, they address the speed- resolution trade-off by developing super-resolution image post-processing strategies.
Subsequently, they apply the developed imaging technique to CO2 reduction on complex plasmonic arrays. They will be able to uniquely correlate spatial mapping of the ongoing chemical reaction with the physical and chemical parameters of the system at speed capable of capturing morphological changes of the plasmonic catalyst. The technical and scientific understanding gained through this experimental phase will then be translated to applications in bio-imaging.
Ultimately, their focus on an open-access approach, both for the hardware and the software, will ensure that the developed state-of-the-art imaging system can be readily available for the EPFL community at large. Initially tested and characterized for applications in solar-fuel systems, this imaging technique has much broader potential, not only in the context of energy devices, i.e. for batteries, but also for emerging interdisciplinary applications, in particular nanoelectrochemistry of single-cell signaling.
