Tip Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy On Electrochemical Systems

The in situ investigation of electrochemical interfaces structures at the nanoscale is a key element in the understanding of charge and electron transfer mechanisms e.g. in the fields of energy storage or electrocatalysis. This thesis introduces the implementation of tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (TERS) in liquid and in electrochemical conditions enabling the nanoscale analysis of electrified solid/liquid interfaces through the strong and local electric field enhancement at gold or silver scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) probes. The ability of TERS to image inhomogeneities in the coverage density of a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) through a layer of organic solvent on gold was demonstrated. A TERS-inspired analytical tool was also developed, based on a TERS tip used simultaneously as a single-hot spot surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) platform and as a microelectrode (EC tip SERS). The reduction of an electroactive SAM could then be monitored by electrochemical and in situ SERS measurements. In situ electrochemical STM-TERS was also evidenced through the imaging of local variations of the electric field enhancement on peculiar sites of a gold electrode with a lateral resolution lower than 8 nm. Finally TERS also demonstrated to be efficient in investigating the structure of organic layers grafted either by electrochemical reduction or spontaneously. This work is therefore a major advance for the analysis of functionalized surfaces.