New SECM (Scanning Electrochemical Microscopy) Option for Bruker JPK BioAFM
A new SECM (Scanning Electrochemical Microscopy) option is available for the Bruker JPK NanoWizard BioAFM series. AFM-based SECM is used for electrochemical mapping at nanoscale resolution. This is useful in a range of fields including chemistry kinetics, biochemical signaling and environmental chemistry.
Blue Scientific is the official distributor for Bruker JPK BioAFM instruments in Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Iceland. For more information or quotes, please get in touch.
Bruker JPK NanoWizard range
Bruker JPK Product Note (PDF)
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New SECM Option
SECM (Scanning Electrochemical Microscopy) is now available as an option for Bruker JPK BioAFM NanoWizard microscopes. This enables you to simultaneously acquire topographic, electrochemical, electrical and mechanical information with nanometer-scale lateral resolution. It’s safe and easy to operate in liquid, for a range of applications.
SECM is already available for Bruker Dimension Icon AFMs. Details here…
What is SECM?
SECM is an AFM mode for electrochemical mapping with a spatial resolution of less than 100 nanometers. It’s powered by Bruker’s PeakForce Tapping.
Information about electrochemical activity, conductivity (in liquid) and quantitative nanomechanical properties are acquired simultaneously. You can visualise electrical and chemical processes, and gain insights into the relationship between size, geometry, modulus, adhesion and more.
Applications
SECM is ideal for studying the spatially resolved electrochemical reactivity on surfaces, including the quantitative study of the kinetics of electrochemical and chemical reactions.
In the past, spatial resolution was limited by the size of the electrodes, and there were problems with cross-talk between the electrochemical signal and topography. The probe size has now been reduced to nanometer scale, overcoming previous issues, and the electrochemical current reading has been decoupled from topography acquisition.
Mechanical properties can be captured simultaneously with SECM, even on soft, fragile biological samples such as live cells, bacteria, viruses and protein layers. You can also take nano-electrical measurements in liquid. SECM can also be combined with fluorescence and advanced fluorescence techniques (confocal, FLIM, TIRF, FRET, FCS).
This opens up a wide range of applications (contact us if your area of interest isn’t mentioned):
- Localised corrosion
- Electrocatalytic behaviour of nanoparticles
- Enzyme catalysed reactions
- Charge-transfer mechanisms
- Adsorption and desorption phenomena
- Diffusion processes across membranes
- Hydrogen peroxide release from bacterial films
- Physiological activity of single live cells
- … and more
Components
The SECM package has been designed to integrate into NanoWizard microscopes. It consists of four major components:
- Probe holder
- Current preamplifier
- Bi-potentiostat
- Electrochemical cell
The software guides you through the workflow. As well as the filtered signal, the raw signal can also be captured, for offline data processing as you need to in future. SECM is not restricted to any particular AFM operating mode.
Rich Data Cubes
You can record electrochemical volume data cubes using QITM or force mapping for multi-dimensional imaging on soft / viscous samples. These rich datasets provide multi-dimensional insights into sample properties such as height, adhesion, stiffness and SECM current at various heights.
The example below shows 5 µm wide platinum electrodes on glass, captured in force mapping mode. The line-wise volume section of the electrochemical current taken from the approach curves is shown on the right.
More Information
Further information is available in this product note:
Bruker JPK SECM Product Note (PDF)
Blue Scientific is the official distributor of Bruker JPK systems in the Nordic region (Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Iceland). We’re available to answer all your questions – just get in touch:
