Ex situ characterization of electrochemically generated Cu nanostructures

It is possible to generate small metal clusters on a metal surface in an electrochemical environment by tip-induced metal deposition using an electrochemical scanning tunneling microscope (STM). So far, it has only been possible to observe the clusters in situ over a period of a few hours. The present work shows for the first time, that copper clusters of 2-3 atomic layers height, consisting of 100-1000 atoms, can be prepared under electrochemical in situ conditions on a Au(111) surface and remain observable after removing the electrolyte, The clusters show no Ostwald ripening but the imaged heights of the clusters decrease continuously with time. Only traces of the nanostructures can be imaged with the STM 2 days after exposure to ex situ conditions in air. The results open a new perspective for further investigations of the properties of electrochemically created nanostructures with ex situ analytical methods. (C) 2002 The Electrochemical Society.