Sharply defined lateral composition gradients of copper on gold by spatiotemporal control of the in-plane electrochemical potential distribution

摘要

Injecting an in-plane current by connecting the two ends of a thin Au film to different potentials relative to a common reference couple results in the formation of a linear potential gradient at the surface of the electrode. Coupling the surface potentials to a redox species in solution then causes spatially dependent redox chemistry, effectively mapping the electrochemical reaction onto the surface. Copper was selectively deposited to the surface of the Au film by selecting applied potentials that encompass E-eq for the Cu2+/Cu-0 reduction. Upon potential application copper deposits onto the area of the electrode for which V(x)