Established in 2023 the Harlow Surface and Nanoscale Laboratory is based within the Oregon Center for Electrochemistry. We focus on a mixture of fundamental and applied electrochemistry with topics ranging from double layer structure to electrocatalysis and corrosion. We sit on the edge of chemistry/physics using lasers, particle accelerators and soon robots! Here are some areas we are currently interested in:

Advanced x-ray and neutron instrumentation/techniques

A major component of our research involves developing experimental and analysis techniques for in situ electrochemical synchrotron studies. For instance Prof. Harlow has developed the HAT software package for data treatment of high-energy surface x-ray diffraction data, a technique is a leading expert in. He has also build several in situ cells, worked with grazing incidence XAFS, coherent Bragg diffraction, and in situ XPS.

Single crystal electrochemistry

Using single crystals we can investiage how individual crystal facets affect overpotentials, reaction kinetics and the products produced. Single crystal work is time consuming and requires a great deal of care and expertise. All our glassware and electrochemical cells are througly cleaned in acids or simlar solutions and the electrodes are prepared either via flame annealing, ultra-high vaccum sputtering/annealing, chemical etching or induction heating.

Electrode modifcation with organic species

When organic species interact with metal electrode surfaces and covelantly bond the the metal electronic strucutre and the resulting functionality can be potentially taliored to our advantage. Ligands on the adsorbed molecules can also affect reaction pathways/knietics and solvation structures. We are using highly controlled single crystal electrochemical studies combined with laser-induced temperture jump measurments, surface x-ray diffraction, and in situ spectroscopy to understand how we can best utilize metal molecule interactions.

 

Liquid structure at electrode interfaces

Using specular surface x-ray diffraciton we can measure the electron density across the electrochemical interface. This is dominated by the electrode, but by also measuring non-specular rods, different electrolyte concentrations and using stronly scattering cations we can gain enough contrast to achieve fundamental insights into the structure of the electrochemical double layer.

 

 

Model studies of surface alloys and oxides in electrocatalysis

We work with international collaborators to synthesis well defined surface oxides relevant for water splitting via molecular beam epitaxy and other techniques and then characterize their atomic strucutre in situ at the synchrotron using high-energy surface X-ray diffraction.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hierarchical Nanostructures

We are working on using templates for electrodeposition to build new catalyst structures that would be otherwise impossible, these catalysts can be important for CO2 reduction, electrolysis or many other reactions.