In-Operando STM for electrochemistry
An electrochemical Scanning Tunneling Microscope enables correlative studies of surface sites and their electrochemical reactivity. LPM leverages her expertise on designing SPMs for enabling In-Operando surface studies at the liquid-solid interface.
EC cell customization
Design freedom for the right EC-cell for your experiment
For studying electrochemistry, it’s important to design experimental cells specifically for each experiment. Leiden Probe Microscopy brings the flag style sample insert interface to EC-STM. This allows to design your own EC-cell and insert it easily into the EC-STM.
STM probes required for the EC-STM can be prepared with the tip etcher and tip coater dedicated setup. After performing experiments, EC-cells can be dismounted and cleaned. The liquid inlets are chemically resistant PTFE and can be properly cleaned after dismounting.
Experimental results of the EC-STM
Correlative research on surface sites and electrochemical activity
The EC-cell infrastructure is designed with focus on cleanliness, such that proper Cyclic Voltammetry can be correlated with STM. The strength of this instrument is the correlation between the electrochemistry and the surface science.
Environmental control
Control the liquids in the cell and the mixture of the gas above the cell.
Surfaces can be studied locally in an EC-cell and under a protective gas environment. Inside the enclosed volume around the EC-cell, the gas atmosphere can be filled with pure gasses or a mixture of CO, CO2, H2, and Ar. Temperature and humidity can also be controlled.
The STM head is operated under an Ar environment, such that samples can be transferred via a load-lock under a protective environment. This enables swift and clean sample transfers. The whole instrument is placed in an acoustic enclosure with integrated Faraday cage and active vibration isolation.
In-Operando STM for catalysis
A Catalysis Scanning Tunneling Microscope enables correlative studies of surface sites and their catalytic reactivity. LPM leverages her expertise on designing SPMs for enabling In-Operando surface studies at the gas-solid interface.
Correlated surface morphology
With high level of pressure and temperature control
With the Cat-STM system one can simultaneously monitor the surface morphology and the reaction products as function of feed gas composition. The Cat-STM can operate in both batch and flow reactor mode.
The Cat-STM introduces another dimension to the fields of surface science and physical chemistry: operando scanning probe experiments under conditions running from UHV up to 6 bar of reactive gas atmosphere and at elevated temperature. Observe the process in action, under industrial conditions.
Experimental results of the Cat-STM
Correlative research on surface sites and catalytic activity
Nature Communications 2019, 10 (2546); R.V. Mom, J.N. Louwen, J.W.M. Frenken et al.: In situ observations of an active MoS2 model hydrodesulfurization catalyst
J. Phys. Chem. C 2018, 122, (26430); J. Zheng, O. Ivashenko, A. O. Sjåstad et al.: Roadmap for Modeling RhPt/Pt(111) Catalytic Surfaces
Nature Communications 2017, 8 (429); M.A. van Spronsen, J.W.M. Frenken & I.M.N. Groot: Observing the oxidation of platinum, Nature Communications
CVD optimized for 2D material growt
Cold Wall Chemical Vapor Deposition Reactor for high-quality and large area growth of Transition Metal Dichalcogenide Monolayers and Graphene.
Direct in-process optical feedback
Optical visualization of 2D material growth
The unique design of the reactor’s gas flow allows for direct, in-situ optical inspection. The gas flow is used to cool the objective and preserve the transparency of the window against evaporating samples during growth.
With direct visualization of the growth dynamics, a feedback is enabled to optimize the growth conditions during synthesis. This enables tuning for optimal quality over large areas,
for multilayer growth, as well as ensuring constant growth quality over time. A CVD oven is no longer a black box, you have complete control.
Experimental results of the 2D CVD
Synthesis of Graphene on liquid copper
Optical imaging of the blackbody radiation gives contrast at high temperatures allowing the visualization of the synthesis process of graphene. This feedback allows for a high level of control over the process parameters to guarantee successful growth.