The Scanning Ion-Conductance Microscope

Hansma, Paul K.; Drake, B.; Marti, Othmar; Gould, Steven A.; Prater, C. B.

doi:10.1126/science.2464851

Cited by 772 publications

(608 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“…10 Nanopipettes used as the probe in scanning ion conductance microscopy (SICM) are particularly powerful as a means of imaging the local topography of substrates. [10][11][12][13] A bias is applied between a quasi-reference counter electrode (QRCE) in the nanopipette and another in the bulk of the solution to induce a direct ion current (DC) through the end of the nanopipette, as illustrated schematically in Figure 1. As the nanopipette-surface distance decreases, the solution resistance in the probe-surface gap increases which, in turn, reduces the ion current.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Surface Charge Mapping with a Nanopipette

et al. 2014

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Nanopipettes are emerging as simple but powerful tools for probing chemistry at the nanoscale.In this contribution the use of nanopipettes for simultaneous surface charge mapping and topographical imaging is demonstrated, using a scanning ion conductance microscopy (SICM) format. When a nanopipette is positioned close to a surface in electrolyte solution the direct ion current (DC), driven by an applied bias between a quasi-reference counter electrode (QRCE) in the nanopipette and a second QRCE in the bulk solution is sensitive to surface charge. The charge sensitivity arises because the diffuse double layers at the nanopipette and the surface interact, creating a perm-selective region which becomes increasingly significant at low ionic strengths (10 mM 1:1 aqueous electrolyte herein). This leads to a polarity-dependent ion current and surface-induced rectification as the bias is varied. Using distance-modulated SICM, which induces an alternating ion current component (AC) by periodically modulating the distance between the nanopipette and the surface, the effect of surface charge on the DC and AC is explored and rationalized. The impact of surface charge on the AC phase (with respect to the driving sinusoidal signal) is highlighted in particular; this quantity shows a shift that is highly sensitive to interfacial charge and provides the basis for visualizing charge simultaneously with topography. The studies herein highlight the use of nanopipettes for functional imaging with applications from cell biology to materials characterization where understanding surface charge is of key importance.3

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Surface Charge Mapping with a Nanopipette

et al. 2014

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“…[27][28] SICM uses a nanopipet filled with an electrolyte, containing a quasi-reference counter electrode, QRCE (e.g. Ag/AgCl), as the scanning probe.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fabrication and Characterization of Dual Function Nanoscale pH-Scanning Ion Conductance Microscopy (SICM) Probes for High Resolution pH Mapping

et al. 2013

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(2013) Fabrication and characterization of dual function nanoscale pH-scanning ion conductance microscopy (SICM) probes for high resolution pH mapping. Analytical Chemistry, Volume 85 (Number 17). pp. 8070-8074 Permanent WRAP url: http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/57249 Copyright and reuse:The Warwick Research Archive Portal (WRAP) makes this work of researchers of the University of Warwick available open access under the following conditions. Copyright © and all moral rights to the version of the paper presented here belong to the individual author(s) and/or other copyright owners. To the extent reasonable and practicable the material made available in WRAP has been checked for eligibility before being made available.Copies of full items can be used for personal research or study, educational, or not-forprofit purposes without prior permission or charge. Provided that the authors, title and full bibliographic details are credited, a hyperlink and/or URL is given for the original metadata page and the content is not changed in any way. Publisher's statement:This document is the Accepted Manuscript version of a Published Work that appeared in final form in Analytical Chemistry copyright © American Chemical Society after peer review and technical editing by the publisher. To access the final edited and published work http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/ac401883n The version presented here may differ from the published version or, version of record, if you wish to cite this item you are advised to consult the publisher's version. Please see the 'permanent WRAP url' above for details on accessing the published version and note that access may require a subscription. AbstractThe easy fabrication and use of nanoscale dual function pH-scanning ion conductance microscopy (SICM) probes is reported. These probes incorporate an iridium oxide coated carbon electrode for pH measurement and an SICM barrel for distance control, enabling simultaneous pH and topography mapping. These pH-SICM probes were fabricated rapidly from laser pulled theta quartz pipets, with the pH electrode prepared by in-situ carbon filling of one of the barrels by the pyrolytic decomposition of butane, followed by electrodeposition of a thin layer of hydrous iridium oxide. The other barrel was filled with an electrolyte solution and Ag/AgCl electrode as part of a conductance cell for SICM. The fabricated probes, with pH and SICM sensing elements typically on the 100 nm scale, were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and various electrochemical measurements. They showed a linear super-Nernstian pH response over a range of pH (pH 2-10). The capability of the pH-SICM probe was demonstrated by detecting both pH and topographical changes during the dissolution of a calcite microcrystal in aqueous solution. This system illustrates the quantitative nature of pH-SICM imaging, because the dissolution process changes the crystal height and interfacial pH (compared to bulk) and each is sensitive to the rate. Both measurements reve...

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“…Nanoscale SECM is also possible by performing the scan in a thin liquid layer, which means the tip does not require insulation, in a technique comparable to scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) [22]. An ion current between two ideally non-polarizable electrodes can also be used to provide pure distance control, as demonstrated by scanning ion conductance microscopy (SICM) [23]. Tips having two electrodes have been successfully used for dual function imaging: a SICM component for topography, and a solid electrode for redox activity imaging [24][25][26].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Nanoscale intermittent contact-scanning electrochemical microscopy

Lazenby

McKelvey

Peruffo

et al. 2013

J Solid State Electrochem

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Contribution to the Festschrift for Allen J. Bard, on the occasion of his 80 th birthday.2 Abstract A major theme in scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM) is methodology for nanoscale imaging with distance control and positional feedback of the tip. We report the expansion of intermittent contact (IC)-SECM to the nanoscale, using disk-type Pt nanoelectrodes prepared using the laser-puller sealing method. The Pt was exposed using a focused ion beam milling procedure to cut the end of the electrode to a well-defined glass sheath radius, which could also be used to reshape the tips to reduce the size of the glass sheath. This produced nanoelectrodes that were slightly recessed, which was optimal for IC-SECM on the nanoscale, as it served to protect the active part of the tip. A combination of finite element method simulations, steady-state voltammety and scanning electron microscopy, for the measurement of critical dimensions, was used to estimate Pt recession depth. With this knowledge, the tip-substrate alignment could be further estimated by tip approach curve measurements. IC-SECM has been implemented by using a piezo-bender actuator for the detection of damping of the oscillation amplitude of the tip, when IC occurs, which was used as a tip position feedback mechanism. The piezo-bender actuator improves significantly on the performance of our previous setup for IC-SECM, as the force acting on the sample due to the tip is greatly reduced, allowing studies with more delicate tips. The capability of IC-SECM is illustrated with studies of a model electrode (metal/glass) substrate.

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The Scanning Ion-Conductance Microscope

Cited by 772 publications

References 18 publications

Surface Charge Mapping with a Nanopipette

Surface Charge Mapping with a Nanopipette

Fabrication and Characterization of Dual Function Nanoscale pH-Scanning Ion Conductance Microscopy (SICM) Probes for High Resolution pH Mapping

Nanoscale intermittent contact-scanning electrochemical microscopy

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