Ion soft landing: A unique tool for understanding electrochemical processes

Ion soft landing (SL) is a preparative mass spectrometry approach that enables deposition of mass- and charge-selected gaseous ions onto surfaces with controlled kinetic energy. The unique capabilities of SL provide an opportunity to populate electrode-electrolyte interfaces (EEIs) with well-defined intact electroactive ions of known composition, thereby facilitating the characterization of their intrinsic electrochemical properties. In this perspective, we describe the SL technique and discuss how it may be used to study the effect of the charge state, stoichiometry, and composition of large redox active molecules and clusters on their electron transfer kinetics. SL has enabled the characterization of redox-active species that cannot be purified and examined using conventional bulk-phase separation and deposition approaches. Furthermore, precise control over the deposition process provides an opportunity to prepare and characterize well-defined EEIs relevant to energy storage and conversion, catalysis, and sensing.

Automated summary

Ion soft landing is a mass spectrometry technique that allows the controlled deposition of selected ions onto surfaces. It is useful for studying the electrochemical properties of well-defined ions and characterizing redox-active species. Ion soft landing has the advantage of enabling the study of complex molecules and clusters that cannot be purified using traditional methods. It also allows for the precise preparation and characterization of electrode-electrolyte interfaces for various applications.