Effect of Potentiostatic Control on in situ STM Images of Ag and Au Electrodes in a 0.1 M KCl Solution

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Abstract
We investigated the in situ STM images sequentially at the same places of Ag and Au electrodes in a 0.1 M KCl solution, as a function of a potentiostatic voltage. For the Ag electrode, by decreasing the potential, we found that the surface corrugation of the electrode varies suddenly from a flat to a rough surface around the calculated equilibrium potential of AgCl formation/reduction processes. We also found another phenomenon whereby the surface of the Ag electrode becomes more and more smooth with decreasing potential. We supposed this phenomenon to be a rearrangement of the Ag surface caused by the desorption of Cl- specific adions from the active sites. We also found that the roughness of Au surface depends on the potentiostatic voltage. This result seems to be related with the anodic dissolution/reduction processes and the desorption of Cl- specific adions.