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Journal of the Electrochemical Society, Vol.149, No.3, E84-E89, 2002
In situ atomic force microscopy imaging of a heteropolyanion onto a HOPG electrode during its cyclic voltammetry
The voltammetric electrodeposition of the heteropolyanion (HPA) [CoMo6O18(OH)(6)](3-) on the surface of highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) was studied by in situ atomic force microscopy (AFM). The electrochemical behavior of the HPA showed voltammetric plots similar to those found on the growth mechanism of organic conducting polymers. The combined electrochemical behavior and the AFM images revealed that electroreduced species of HPA (ranging from -1.5 to 0.6 V vs. Ag wire) were deposited on the graphite surface in an irregular aggregation. The depth and morphology of the deposit changed as the number of potential cycles and concentration were modified. Additionally, the electrodeposits were characterized by scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive spectroscopy techniques. These results show that electrochemical studies of inorganic compounds by electrochemistry-AFM provide a strong evidence of electrodeposition for heteropolyanions such as the HPA molecule.