A new battery-charging method suggested by molecular dynamics simulations.

Based on large-scale molecular dynamics simulations, we propose a new charging method that should be capable of charging a lithium-ion battery in a fraction of the time needed when using traditional methods. This charging method uses an additional applied oscillatory electric field. Our simulation results show that this charging method offers a great reduction in the average intercalation time for Li(+) ions, which dominates the charging time. The oscillating field not only increases the diffusion rate of Li(+) ions in the electrolyte but, more importantly, also enhances intercalation by lowering the corresponding overall energy barrier.

Chemical imaging of surfaces with the scanning electrochemical microscope.

Scanning electrochemical microscopy is a scanning probe technique that is based on faradaic current changes as a small electrode is moved across the surface of a sample. The images obtained depend on the sample topography and surface reactivity. The response of the scanning electrochemical microscope is sensitive to the presence of conducting and electroactive species, which makes it useful for imaging heterogeneous surfaces. The principles and instrumentation used to obtain images and surface reaction-kinetic information are discussed, and examples of applications to the study of electrodes, minerals, and biological samples are given.

Fabricating and imaging carbon-fiber immobilized enzyme ultramicroelectrodes with scanning electrochemical microscopy.

The scanning electrochemical microscope (SECM) is used to image the activity of enzymes immobilized on the surfaces of disk-shaped carbon-fiber electrodes. SECM was used to map the concentration of enzymatically produced hydroquinone or hydrogen peroxide at the surface of a 33-microm diameter disk-shaped carbon-fiber electrode modified by an immobilized glucose-oxidase layer. Sub-monolayer coverage of the enzyme at the electrode surface could be detected with micrometer resolution. The SECM was also employed as a surface modification tool to produce microscopic regions of enzyme activity by using a variety of methods. One method is a gold-masking process in which microscopic gold patterns act as mask for producing patterns of chemical modification. The gold masks allow operation in both a positive or negative process for patterning enzyme activity. A second method uses the direct mode of the SECM to produce covalently attached amine groups on the carbon surface. The amine groups are anchors for attachment of glucose oxidase by use of a biotin/avidin process. The effect of non-uniform enzyme activity was investigated by using the SECM tip to temporarily damage an immobilized enzyme surface. SECM imaging can observe the spatial extent and time-course of the enzyme recovery process.

Ohmic drop compensation in voltammetry: iterative correction of the applied potential.

A new method of ohmic potential drop correction for use with potential step and sweep voltammetric methods is described. The method, iterative correction of the applied potential (ICAP), essentially replaces an electronic positive feedback correction with a digital positive feedback correction. This paper will present one form of the ICAP procedure, in which voltammetric current data acquired by a high-speed digital oscilloscope are used to iteratively generate a compensating potential waveform that is then synthesized by an arbitrary waveform generator. The ICAP method is advantageous for high-speed measurements, since many of the difficulties caused by electronic positive feedback compensation are eliminated.

Localized avidin/biotin derivatization of glassy carbon electrodes using SECM.

Different forms of the microreagent mode of SECM were used to attach biotin or make "clean" spots on micron-sized regions on the surface of a carbon electrode. In the direct-write mode, the SECM probe tip is used as an electrochemical "pen" depositing biotin in micron-sized lines on the carbon substrate as it is scanned across its surface. In the negative microreagent mode, the SECM probe tip is used as an electrochemical "eraser" cleaning of the surface attached molecules and leaving clean spots on the surface of a globally derivatized carbon surface. This type of simple micromodification of the surface of a carbon electrode will allow the fabrication of biosensors that can potentially be tailor-made for a variety of applications.

Conductivity detection for monitoring mixing reactions in microfluidic devices.

A conductivity detector was coupled to poly(dimethylsiloxane)-glass capillary electrophoresis microchips to monitor microfluidic flow. Electroosmotic flow was investigated with both conductivity detection (CD) and the current monitoring method. No significant variation was observed between these methods, but CD showed a lower relative standard deviation. Gradient mixing experiments were employed to investigate the relationship between the electrolyte conductivity and the electrolyte concentration. A good linear response of conductivity to concentration was obtained for solutions whose difference in concentrations were less than 27 mM. The new system holds great promise for precision mixing in microfluidic devices using electrically driven flows.

Impedance feedback control for scanning electrochemical microscopy.

A new constant-distance imaging method based on the relationship between tip impedance and tip-substrate separation has been developed for the scanning electrochemical microscope. The tip impedance is monitored by application of a high-frequency ac voltage bias between the tip and auxiliary electrode. The high-frequency ac current is easily separated from the dc-level faradaic electrochemistry with a simple RC filter, which allows impedance measurements during feedback or generation/collection experiments. By employing a piezo-based feedback controller, we are able to maintain the impedance at a constant value and, thus, maintain a constant tip-substrate separation. Application of the method to feedback and generation/collection experiments with tip electrodes as small as 2 microm is presented.