In the last few years several new techniques have been developed that make possible atomic level Spectroscopy and Microscopy studies at the solid-gas and solid-liquid interface.  Atomic resolution microscopy has been performed for many years using Scanning Tunneling and Force Microscopies (STM, AFM), in electrochemical environments with potentiostat control of the working electrode surface during imaging.  In the Spectroscopy area however only optical techniques: IR, surface enhanced Raman, and Sum Frequency Generation have been successful in providing information that reveal the molecular structure of the surface and adsorbed layers.  In my laboratory we followed a new approach by implementing techniques or modifying existing ones that are based on x-ray spectroscopy, XPS and XAS, for studies of liquid-vapor and liquid-solid interfaces with high surface selectivity and sensitivity.  Fruit of this effort are the Ambient Pressure XPS, and the electron-yield XAS at the solid-liquid interface.  With this we were able for the first time to study spectroscopically the melting of ice, the chemical structure of water droplets, the growth of water films in equilibrium with vapors, and more recently the structure of water near electrified surfaces of Pt, Au and graphene. We are currently in the process of implementing novel electron transparent membranes based on graphene for direct XPS studies of materials. The first results with liquids and gases at pressures of up to 2.5 bar are very promising and will be discussed.<br/>

Spectroscopy and microscopy at the solid-vapor and solid-liquid interface

253rd National Meeting (2017)

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