In situ EC-AFM observation with atomic resolution of Pb(1 0 0) and Pb(1 1 1) single crystals in sulfuric acid solution

Abstract

Pb(1 0 0) and Pb(1 1 1) single crystals in 50 mM H 2SO 4 aqueous solution have been investigated by in situ electrochemical atomic force microscopy (EC-AFM) under potential control. We have succeeded in observating high resolution images of Pb(1 0 0) and Pb(1 1 1) single crystals, as well as high resolution and morphological images of PbSO 4 crystals formed on the Pb single crystals. We found that the top face of PbSO 4 crystals formed on Pb(1 0 0) is PbSO 4(0 0 1), while that on Pb(1 1 1) is PbSO 4(1 0 0). We also found that the atomic rows along the [1 0 0] and [0 1 0] direction of PbSO 4(0 0 1) surface were parallel with those along the [0 1 1] and [0 1 1̄] direction of the Pb(1 0 0) substrate, while those along the [0 1 0] and [0 0 1] direction of the PbSO 4 (1 0 0) surface were parallel with those along the [0 1 1̄] and [1̄ 1 1] direction of the Pb(1 1 1) substrate.