Probing the Structure of the Electrochemical Interface Using in-Situ Surface X-Ray Scattering Techniques
Authors: Lucas Christopher A. A , Grunder Yvonne 
Published: August 2024

Surface X-ray Scattering (SXS) or Surface X-ray Diffraction (SXRD) using synchrotron radiation is a powerful tool for the study of single crystal metal electrodes in the electrochemical environment. The single crystal surfaces have well defined adsorption sites and this enables fundamental links to be made between the surface atomic structure and the electrochemical response as has been illustrated, for example, in electrocatalysis [1]. As the development of electrochemical surface science progresses, there is a growing need for a comprehensive understanding of the atomic sturcture of electrochemical interface, both of the solid electrode and in the liquid electrolyte. This is because changes in the atomic structure across the interface induced by changes in the electric field can affect the system’s reactivity and stability [2]. These processes can be subtle and do not always involve the direct transfer of charge between electrode and electrolyte. Examples include metal surface relaxation and surface reconstruction, as well as charging of the double layer, which leads to rearrangement of the electrolyte side of the interface [3]. To further extend the fundamental understanding of the electrochemical interface structure, we have been developing resonant surface x-ray diffraction (RSXRD), a technique which combines diffraction with spectroscopy, to investigate the charge distribution in the double layer region. Combining experimental data and first-principles calculations, in-situ RSXRD was used to establish the charge distribution both at the Pt(111) electrode surface and at the Cu(001)-c(2x2)-Br electrode surface [5,6].

In this talk results of recent studies of single crystal metal electrodes to probe the liquid side of the interface, particularly the role of cations in the electrochemical double layer, will be presented. The results include a systematic study of the low index Ag(hkl) surfaces to explore the role of the surface atomic geometry in determining the electrolyte layering and an exploration of the role that Cs+ cations play in forming the double layer structures on single crystal Au and Pt electrodes.

[1] Y. Gründer and C. A. Lucas, Surface X-ray Diffraction Studies of Single Crystal Electrocatalysts, Nano Energy, 29, 378 (2016)

[1] O. M. Magnussen and A. Groß, Toward an Atomic-Scale Understanding of Electrochemical Interface Structure and Dynamics. Journal of the American Chemical Society, 141, 4777 (2019)

[2] Y. Gründer and C.A. Lucas, Potential-induced structural deformation at electrode surfaces. Current Opinion in Electrochemistry, 19, 168 (2020)

[3] Y. Soldo-Olivier et al., Unraveling the Charge Distribution at the Metal-Electrolyte Interface Coupling in Situ Surface Resonant X-ray Diffraction with Ab Initio Calculations, ACS Catalysis, 12, 2375 (2022)

[4] Y. Gründer et al., Charge Reorganization at the Adsorbate covered Electrode Surface probed through in-situ resonant X-ray Diffraction Combined with Ab-initio Modelling, Journal of Physical Chemistry C, 126, 4612 (2022)