Extending an in situ scanning tunneling microscopic study to rough electrode surfaces - iodine adsorption at silver electrodes

We demonstrate some unique properties of a rough silver electrode surface r evealed by the atomic-resolution electrochemical scanning tunneling microsc opy (ECSTM) measurements. Taking the well-known system of iodine adsorption , we observed distinctly different iodine adlayer structures and surface di ffusion behavior on mechanically polished polycrystalline silver electrodes in comparison with those on single-crystal electrodes. The results indicat e the need to extend atomic-resolution STM studies to rough surfaces of pra ctical importance. (C) 2000 Published by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights r eserved.