Electrochemical surface analysis with the scanning droplet cell.

A new electrochemical device, the scanning droplet cell, is presented. Small electrolyte droplets are positioned on the sample surface and enable a spatially resolved surface analysis or modification. The droplet is simply held by its surface tension and, therefore, no surface pretreatment is necessary. According to the conventional 3-electrode arrangement all common potentiostatic and galvanostatic techniques, e.g. impedance spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry, or current transients of potentiostatic steps, are possible.