Metal oxides characterization based on the use of cavity-microelectrodes and scanning electrochemical microscopy

With this communication, we mean to summarise our most recent results obtained on the physico-chemical and electrochemical characterization of metal oxides. In particular, the characterization involves both “classical” methods and innovative techniques, like the use of cavity-microelectrodes (C-MEs) [ , ] and scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM) [ ]. In particular, thanks to the use of C-MEs, the concept and methodology of quantitative rapid screening is introduced by comparing a matrix of materials and selecting the most promising one for a given electrocatalytic process. SECM was first used for the rapid screening of material libraries and then for investigating the behaviour of different metal oxides [ ] as a function of the applied potential. Thus, here we present new SECM data (figure 1) highlighting the dramatic changes in electrical conductivity occurring through phase transitions (as in IrO2) or electrochemically induced self-doping (TiO2).