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Quantifying the localized electrical interface using a force-controlled scanning ion conductance microscopy
Hongyu Wang1, Huiyao Shi2, Si Tang3
1State Key Laboratory of Robotics and Intelligent Systems, Shenyang Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Shenyang 110016, China.; University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
We developed a new scanning microscopy technique to map electrical double layer charges at interfaces. This method accurately quantifies interfacial properties, overcoming limitations of traditional approaches for advanced materials science.
Area of Science:
- Interfacial Science
- Surface Chemistry
- Materials Science
Background:
- The electrical double layer (EDL) is crucial for interfacial phenomena but difficult to measure due to its small scale and complex signal decoupling.
- Conventional techniques struggle with reliable EDL measurements, highlighting a gap in theoretical understanding and experimental platforms.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a novel measurement platform for localized charge characterization at solid-liquid interfaces.
- To combine EDL-mediated charge mapping with quantitative electrokinetic modeling for advancing interfacial science.
Main Methods:
- Developed a force-controlled scanning ion conductance microscopy (FCSICM) platform for high-resolution interface charge mapping.
- Evaluated ion current rectification (ICR) sensitivity under various interfacial conditions (bias voltage, substrate polarity, electrolyte concentration).
- Created a physically interpretable electrokinetic transport model to correlate experimental observations with theory.
Main Results:
- FCSICM demonstrated stable probe-EDL engagement and sensitive mapping of surface charge distribution.
- ICR showed strong dependence on interfacial conditions, with optimal performance at high bias voltage and low electrolyte concentration.
- The quantitative electrokinetic model accurately reproduced experimental current-voltage characteristics, enabling quantitative analysis of ion rectification.
Conclusions:
- FCSICM successfully mapped topography and surface charge synchronously, differentiating material interfaces with high consistency.
- The developed platform and model establish a new quantitative approach for interfacial science, overcoming limitations of conventional methods.
