Electrochemical surface science (EC-SS) is the natural advancement of traditional surface science (where gas-vacuum/solid interfaces are studied) to liquid (solution)/electrified solid interfaces. Such a merging between two different disciplines-i.e., surface science (SS) and electrochemistry-officially advanced ca. three decades ago. The main characteristic of EC-SS versus electrochemistry is the reductionist approach undertaken, inherited from SS and aiming to understand the microscopic processes occurring at electrodes on the atomic level. A few of the exemplary keystone tools of EC-SS include EC-scanning probe microscopies, operando and in situ spectroscopies and electron microscopies, and differential EC mass spectrometry (DEMS). EC-SS indirectly (and often unconsciously) receives a great boost from the requirement for rational design of energy conversion and storage devices for the next generation of energetic landscapes. As a matter of fact, the number of material science groups deeply involved in such a challenging field has tremendously expanded and, within such a panorama, EC and SS investigations are intimately combined in a huge number of papers. The aim of this Special Issue is to offer an open access forum where researchers in the field of electrochemistry, surface science, and materials science could outline the great advances that can be reached by exploiting EC-SS approaches. Papers addressing both the basic science and more applied issues in the field of EC-SS and energy conversion and storage materials have been published in this Special Issue.
Subjects
Pd thin films Auger-Electron Spectroscopy benchmarking potential-dependent structures CO electro-oxidation surface reconstruction photo-electrochemistry nitrogen doping potential stepping DFT nanoparticles carbon nanofiber Pd gas diffusion electrode flexible ITO UPS palladium Lead OPD formic acid oxidation cobalt oxide adsorbed OH electrochemistry Pt mesopore DMFC pH and concentration effects solvothermal method direct methanol fuel cells EF-PEEM PVDF self-assembly PEMFC hard X rays photochemistry EQCM potential cycling surface alloy near ambient pressure XPS cobalt-based electrocatalyst silver single crystals Cu(111) electrodeposited alloys Pt single-crystal electrodes SOFC TiO2 oxygen evolution reaction silicon nanoparticles pump & graphitization in situ EC-STM oxygen reduction gold diazonium salts Au micropore solid/liquid interface XPS XAFS surface chemistry electrosynthesis porous fiber surface science click chemistry adhesion in situ methanol oxidation reaction hydroxyl radical mass transport free electron laser cyclic voltammetry redox properties electro-oxidation X-ray absorption spectroscopy hydrogen adsorption electrodeposition electrocatalysis Ordered mesoporous carbon Corrosion Protection electrochemical interface cyclic voltammetry (CV) FEXRAV photoelectron simulations Pt-Ru catalysts d-band theory bimetallic alloy photoconversion ordered mesoporous carbons carbon nanofibers (CNFs) platinum water splitting Surface Modification EPR spectroscopy scanning photoelectron microscopy model catalyst energy dispersive porphyrins combined non-covalent control AES spin-coating SAMs water oxidation in-situ X-ray diffraction Au nanocrystals model systems platinum single crystals cathode redox monolayers surface nanostructures bifunctional oxygen electrode polymer photoelectrochemistry metal-electrolyte interface electrocatalysts APTES porogen electrophoretic deposition thin-films ammonia activation graphene ORR polypyrrole iridium surface area reduced graphene oxide Magnetite Platinum electrospinning catalysts Blackening of Steel switchable surfaces in situ ambient pressure XPS fuel cells methanol oxidation quick-XAS nickel CO oxidation solid oxide fuel cells operando probe CdS alkanthiols ECALE alkoxyamine surfaces underpotential deposition (upd)