Regensburg 2010 – wissenschaftliches Programm
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O: Fachverband Oberflächenphysik
O 2: Metal substrates: Solid-liquid interfaces
O 2.6: Vortrag
Montag, 22. März 2010, 12:30–12:45, H31
X-ray reflectivity studies at the mercury/electrolyte interface — •Annika Elsen1, Bridget M. Murphy1, Ben M. Ocko2, Lilach Tamam3, Moshe Deutsch3, Ivan Kuzmenko4, and Olaf M. Magnussen1 — 1Institut für Experimentelle und Angewandte Physik, CAU, D-24105 Kiel, Germany — 2Department of Physics, BNL, Upton, New York 11973, USA — 3Department of Physics, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan 52900, Israel — 4CMC-CAT, APS, ANL, Argonne, Illinois 60439, USA
The interface between the liquid mercury electrode and an electrolyte solution is one of the most extensively studied electrochemical systems. It was fundamental for verifying traditional and modern theories of the electrochemical double layer. Although the metal contributes significant to the double layer capacity, with its interface structure playing an important role, up to now there is almost no knowledge about this structure. Here we present the first X-ray reflectivity studies at the liquid mercury electrode in electrolyte solution (0.01M NaF), allowing to clarify the interface structure. The experiments exhibited atomic layering of the mercury perpendicular to the surface similar to that found for the mercury vapour interface. We found a significant influence on the width of the interface electron density profile which can be referred to two effects: first of all the potential dependent change in the surface tension causes a change in the capillary wave induced interface roughness. Secondly another potential controlled effect was found due to the intrinsic change in the electron density distribution because of interface polarisation.