Water states in proton exchange membranes have previously been extracted using terahertz time-domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS) for thick Nafion membranes. In this work, we have developed a parametric based algorithm for data analysis and applied it to thin industrially relevant membranes (13-70μm), processed under different conditions, producing results consistent with conventional gravimetric analysis and prior demonstrations. This therefore opens up opportunities for rapid membrane investigations and understanding.

We demonstrate how combined in-situ measurements and finite element method modeling can provide new insight into the relative contribution of mass transport to the growth of calcium carbonate on two model surfaces, glass and gold, under high-supersaturation conditions relevant to surface scaling. An impinging jet-radial flow system is used to create a high-supersaturated solution at the inlet of different cells: an optical microscope cell presenting a glass surface for deposition and quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) and in-situ IR spectroscopy cells, both presenting a gold surface. The approach described is quantitative due to the well-defined mass transport, and both time-lapse optical microscopy images and QCM data are analyzed to provide information on the growth kinetics of the calcite crystals. Initially, amorphous calcium carbonate (ACC), formed in solution, dominates the deposition process. At longer times, the growth of calcite is more significant and, on glass, is observed to consume ACC from the surface, leading to surface regions depleted of ACC developing around calcite microcrystals. On Au, the mass increase becomes linear with time in this region. Taken together, these microscopic and macroscopic measurements demonstrate that calcite growth has a significant component of mass transport control at high supersaturation. Finite element method (FEM) simulations of mass-transport-limited crystal growth support the strong mass transport contribution to the growth kinetics and further suggest that the observed growth must be sustained by more than just the Ca2+ and CO32- in solution, with dissolution/direct attachment of ACC and/or ion pairs also contributing to the growth process.

The kinetics of crystal growth of gypsum is determined by measuring the 3D time-evolution of isolated microcrystals (similar to 10 mu m characteristic dimension) by in situ AFM. By coupling such measurements to a well-posed diffusion model, the importance of mass transport to the overall rate can be elucidated readily. Indeed, because microscale interfaces that act as source or sink sites are characterized by intrinsically high diffusion rates, it is possible to study crystal growth free from mass transport effects in many instances. In the present study, a particular focus is to elucidate how the ratio of Ca2+ to SO42- ions at constant supersaturation influences the rate of growth at the major crystal faces of gypsum. It is found that growth at the {100} and {001} faces, in particular, is highly sensitive to solution stoichiometry, resulting in needle-like crystals forming in Ca2+ -rich solutions and plate-like crystals forming in SO42- (-)rich solutions. The maximum growth rate occurs with a stoichiometric solution of Ca2+:SO42- The much slower growing basal {010} face also shows a stoichiometry dependence and growth is found to occur at step sites in growth hillocks. Importantly, overall growth rates derived by measuring the volumetric expansion of microcrystals by 3D in situ AFM are in reasonable agreement with previous bulk studies on suspensions. This study is a further illustration that the study of individual microcrystals is a powerful approach for resolving face-specific kinetics and in providing a link between microscopic observations and macroscopic rates in bulk systems. In this study it has further been possible to link face-specific kinetics to the resulting crystal morphology.

It is well-established that important information about the dissolution and growth of crystals can be obtained by the investigation of step movement on single-crystal faces via in situ AFM. However, a potential drawback of this approach for kinetic measurements is that the small region of investigation may not be representative of the overall surface. It is shown that the investigation of local processes without accounting for the processes outside the region of interest can lead to significant misinterpretation of the data collected. Taking the case of gypsum dissolution as an example, we critically analyze literature data and develop 3 different finite element method models that treat in detail the coupled mass transport surface kinetic problem pertaining to dissolution processes in a typical AFM environment. It is shown that mass transport cannot be neglected when performing in situ AFM on macroscopic surfaces even with high-convection fluid cells. Moreover, crystal dissolution kinetics determined by AFM is mainly influenced by processes occurring in areas of the surface outside the region of interest. When this is recognized, and appropriate models are applied, step velocities due to dissolution are consistent with expectations based on macroscopic measurements, and the kinetic gap that is often apparent between nanoscale and macroscopic measurements is closed. This study provides a framework for the detailed analysis of AFM kinetic data that has wide utility and applicability.

A combination of scanning electrochemical cell microscopy (SECCM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) is used to quantitatively study the acid-induced dissolution of dental enamel. A micron-scale liquid meniscus formed at the end of a dual barrelled pipette, which constitutes the SECCM probe, is brought into contact with the enamel surface for a defined period. Dissolution occurs at the interface of the meniscus and the enamel surface, under conditions of well-defined mass transport, creating etch pits that are then analysed via AFM. This technique is applied to bovine dental enamel, and the effect of various treatments of the enamel surface on acid dissolution (1 mM HNO3) is studied. The treatments investigated are zinc ions, fluoride ions and the two combined. A finite element method (FEM) simulation of SECCM mass transport and interfacial reactivity, allows the intrinsic rate constant for acid-induced dissolution to be quantitatively determined. The dissolution of enamel, in terms of Ca2+ flux (jCa2+), is first order with respect to the interfacial proton concentration and given by the following rate law: jCa2+=k0[H+], with k0=0.099±0.008 cm s−1. Treating the enamel with either fluoride or zinc ions slows the dissolution rate, although in this model system the partly protective barrier only extends around 10–20 nm into the enamel surface, so that after a period of a few seconds dissolution of modified surfaces tends towards that of native enamel. A combination of both treatments exhibits the greatest protection to the enamel surface, but the effect is again transient.

Dissolution kinetics of the (110) face of salicylic acid in aqueous solution is determined by hopping intermittent contact-scanning electrochemical microscopy (HIC-SECM) using a 2.5 μm diameter platinum ultramicroelectrode (UME). The method operates by translating the probe UME towards the surface at a series of positions across the crystal and inducing dissolution via the reduction of protons to hydrogen, which titrates the weak acid and promotes the dissolution reaction, but only when the UME is close to the crystal. Most importantly, as dissolution is only briefly and transiently induced at each location, the initial dissolution kinetics of an as-grown single crystal surface can be measured, rather than a surface which has undergone significant dissolution (pitting), as in other techniques. Mass transport and kinetics in the system are modelled using finite element method simulations which allows dissolution rate constants to be evaluated. It is found that the kinetics of an 'as-grown' crystal are much slower than for a surface that has undergone partial bulk dissolution (mimicking conventional techniques), which can be attributed to a dramatic change in surface morphology as identified by atomic force microscopy (AFM). The 'as-grown' (110) surface presents extended terrace structures to the solution which evidently dissolve slowly, whereas a partially dissolved surface has extensive etch features and step sites which greatly enhance dissolution kinetics. This means that crystals such as salicylic acid will show time-dependent dissolution kinetics (fluxes) that are strongly dependent on crystal history, and this needs to be taken into account to fully understand dissolution.

Objectives: To investigate the formation of hydroxyapatite (HAP) from calcium silicate and the deposition of calcium silicate onto sound and acid eroded enamel surfaces in order to investigate its repair and protective properties.Methods: Calcium silicate was mixed with phosphate buffer for seven days and the resulting solids analysed for crystalline phases by Raman spectroscopy. Deposition studies were conducted on bovine enamel surfaces. Acid etched regions were produced on the enamel surfaces using scanning electrochemical cell microscopy (SECCM) with acid filled pipettes and varying contact times. Following treatment with calcium silicate, the deposition was visualised with FE-SEM and etch pit volumes were measured by AFM. A second set of bovine enamel specimens were pre-treated with calcium silicate and fluoride, before acid exposure with the SECCM. The volumes of the resultant acid etched pits were measured using AFM and the intrinsic rate constant for calcium loss was calculated.Results: Raman spectroscopy confirmed that HAP was formed from calcium silicate. Deposition studies demonstrated greater delivery of calcium silicate to acid eroded than sound enamel and that the volume of acid etched enamel pits was significantly reduced following one treatment (p < 0.05). In the protection study, the intrinsic rate constant for calcium loss from enamel was 0.092 +/- 0.008 cm/s. This was significantly reduced, 0.056 +/- 0.005 cm/s, for the calcium silicate treatments (p < 0.0001).Conclusions: Calcium silicate can transform into HAP and can be deposited on acid eroded and sound enamel surfaces. Calcium silicate can provide significant protection of sound enamel from acid challenges. Clinical Significance: Calcium silicate is a material that has potential for a new approach to the repair of demineralised enamel and the protection of enamel from acid attacks, leading to significant dental hard tissue benefits. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A new approach to the study of ionic crystal dissolution kinetics is described, based on the use of a dual-barrel theta conductance micropipet. The solution in the pipet is undersaturated with respect to the crystal of interest, and when the meniscus at the end of the micropipet makes contact with a selected region of the crystal surface, dissolution occurs causing the solution composition to change. This is observed, with better than 1 ms time resolution, as a change in the ion conductance current, measured across a potential bias between an electrode in each barrel of the pipet. Key attributes of this new technique are: (i) dissolution can be targeted at a single crystal surface; (ii) multiple measurements can be made quickly and easily by moving the pipet to a new location on the surface; (iii) materials with a wide range of kinetics and solubilities are open to study because the duration of dissolution is controlled by the meniscus contact time; (iv) fast kinetics are readily amenable to study because of the intrinsically high mass transport rates within tapered micropipets; (v) the experimental geometry is well-defined, permitting finite element method modeling to allow quantitative analysis of experimental data. Herein, we study the dissolution of NaCl as an example system, with dissolution induced for just a few milliseconds, and estimate a first-order heterogeneous rate constant of 7.5 (±2.5) × 10(-5) cm s(-1) (equivalent surface dissolution flux ca. 0.5 μmol cm(-2) s(-1) into a completely undersaturated solution). Ionic crystals form a huge class of materials whose dissolution properties are of considerable interest, and we thus anticipate that this new localized microscale surface approach will have considerable applicability in the future.

A major theme in scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM) is a methodology for nanoscale imaging with distance control and positional feedback of the tip. We report the expansion of intermittent contact (IC)-SECM to the nanoscale, using disk-type Pt nanoelectrodes prepared using the laser-puller sealing method. The Pt was exposed using a focused ion beam milling procedure to cut the end of the electrode to a well-defined glass sheath radius, which could also be used to reshape the tips to reduce the size of the glass sheath. This produced nanoelectrodes that were slightly recessed, which was optimal for IC-SECM on the nanoscale, as it served to protect the active part of the tip. A combination of finite element method simulations, steady-state voltammetry and scanning electron microscopy for the measurement of critical dimensions, was used to estimate Pt recession depth. With this knowledge, the tip-substrate alignment could be further estimated by tip approach curve measurements. IC-SECM has been implemented by using a piezo-bender actuator for the detection of damping of the oscillation amplitude of the tip, when IC occurs, which was used as a tip-position feedback mechanism. The piezo-bender actuator improves significantly on the performance of our previous setup for IC-SECM, as the force acting on the sample due to the tip is greatly reduced, allowing studies with more delicate tips. The capability of IC-SECM is illustrated with studies of a model electrode (metal/glass) substrate.

The growth and dissolution kinetics of salicylic acid crystals are investigated in situ by focusing on individual microscale crystals. From a combination of optical microscopy and finite element method (FEM) modeling, it was possible to obtain a detailed quantitative picture of dissolution and growth dynamics for individual crystal faces. The approach uses real-time in situ growth and dissolution data (crystal size and shape as a function of time) to parametrize a FEM model incorporating surface kinetics and bulk to surface diffusion, from which concentration distributions and fluxes are obtained directly. It was found that the (001) face showed strong mass transport (diffusion) controlled behavior with an average surface concentration close to the solubility value during growth and dissolution over a wide range of bulk saturation levels. The (110) and (110) faces exhibited mixed mass transport/surface controlled behavior, but with a strong diffusive component. As crystals became relatively large, they tended to exhibit peculiar hollow structures in the end (001) face, observed by interferometry and optical microscopy. Such features have been reported in a number of crystals, but there has not been a satisfactory explanation for their origin. The mass transport simulations indicate that there is a large difference in flux across the crystal surface, with high values at the edge of the (001) face compared to the center, and this flux has to be redistributed across the (001) surface. As the crystal grows, the redistribution process evidently can not be maintained so that the edges grow at the expense of the center, ultimately creating high index internal structures. At later times, we postulate that these high energy faces, starved of material from solution, dissolve and the extra flux of salicylic acid causes the voids to close.

Scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM) has been used to determine quantitatively the kinetics of proton-promoted dissolution of the calcite (1014) cleavage surface (from natural “Iceland Spar”) at the microscopic scale. By working under conditions where the probe size is much less than the characteristic dislocation spacing (as revealed from etching), it has been possible to measure kinetics mainly in regions of the surface which are free from dislocations, for the first time. To clearly reveal the locations of measurements, studies focused on cleaved “mirror” surfaces, where one of the two faces produced by cleavage was etched freely to reveal defects intersecting the surface, while the other (mirror) face was etched locally (and quantitatively) using SECM to generate high proton fluxes with a 25 μm diameter Pt disk ultramicroelectrode (UME) positioned at a defined (known) distance from a crystal surface. The etch pits formed at various etch times were measured using white light interferometry to ascertain pit dimensions. To determine quantitative dissolution kinetics, a moving boundary finite element model was formulated in which experimental time-dependent pit expansion data formed the input for simulations, from which solution and interfacial concentrations of key chemical species, and interfacial fluxes, could then be determined and visualized. This novel analysis allowed the rate constant for proton attack on calcite, and the order of the reaction with respect to the interfacial proton concentration, to be determined unambiguously. The process was found to be first order in terms of interfacial proton concentration with a rate constant k = 6.3 (± 1.3) × 10–4 m s–1. Significantly, this value is similar to previous macroscopic rate measurements of calcite dissolution which averaged over large areas and many dislocation sites, and where such sites provided a continuous source of steps for dissolution. Since the local measurements reported herein are mainly made in regions without dislocations, this study demonstrates that dislocations and steps that arise from such sites are not needed for fast proton-promoted calcite dissolution. Other sites, such as point defects, which are naturally abundant in calcite, are likely to be key reaction sites.

Dissolution processes at single crystal surfaces often involve the initial formation and expansion of localized, characteristic (faceted) etch-pits at defects, in an otherwise comparatively unreactive surface. Using natural gypsum single crystal as an example, a simple but powerful morphological analysis of these characteristic etch pit features is proposed that allows important questions concerning dissolution kinetics to be addressed. Significantly, quantitative mass transport associated with reactive microscale interfaces in quiescent solution (well known in the field of electrochemistry at ultramicroelectrodes) allows the relative importance of diffusion compared to surface kinetics to be assessed. Furthermore, because such mass transport rates are high, much faster surface kinetics can be determined than with existing dissolution methods. For the case of gypsum, surface processes are found to dominate the kinetics at early stages of the dissolution process (small etch pits) on the cleaved (010) surface. However, the contribution from mass transport becomes more important with time due to the increased area of the reactive zones and associated decrease in mass transport rate. Significantly, spatial heterogeneities in both surface kinetics and mass transport effects are identified, and the morphology of the characteristic etch features reveal direction-dependent dissolution kinetics that can be quantified. Effective dissolution velocities normal to the main basal (010) face are determined, along with velocities for the movement of [001] and [100] oriented steps. Inert electrolyte enhances dissolution velocities in all directions (salting in), but a striking new observation is that the effect is direction-dependent. Studies of common ion effects reveal that Ca(2+) has a much greater impact in reducing dissolution rates compared to SO(4)(2-). With this approach, the new microscopic observations can be further analysed to obtain macroscopic dissolution rates, which are found to be wholly consistent with previous bulk measurements. The studies are thus important in bridging the gap between microscopic phenomena and macroscopic measurements.

The use of intermittent contact-scanning electrochemical microscopy (IC-SECM) in diffusion-limited amperometric mode to visualize and quantify mass transport through multiporous membranes is described using dentin as a model example. The IC mode of SECM employs the damping of a vertically modulated ultramicroelectrode (UME) to achieve positioning close to the receptor side of a membrane. In this way the UME can detect electroactive species close to the pore exit. A key aspect of IC-SECM is that in addition to the direct current (dc) from the diffusion-limited detection of the analyte, an alternating current (ac) also develops due to the motion of the probe. It demonstrates that this ac signal enhances the spatial resolution of SECM detection and allows the hydrodynamic flow of species to be detected from individual closely spaced pores. The experimental deductions are supported by three-dimensional finite element modeling which allows IC-SECM current maps to be analyzed to reveal transport rates through individual pores. The method described should be widely applicable to multiporous membrane transport.

The intrinsic dissolution activity of the basal (010) and edge (001) surfaces of gypsum and polycrystalline calcium sulfate anhydrite crystals has been investigated, under far from equilibrium conditions, via the channel flow cell (CFC) method with off-line inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) for the measurement of dissolved Ca2+ from the crystal surface. This approach allows measurements to be made over a wide range of flow rates so that the importance of mass transport versus surface kinetics can be elucidated. Complementary quantitative modeling of the dissolution process was carried out by formulating convective diffusive equations that describe mass transport in the CFC, coupled to a boundary condition for dissolution of the crystal surface. We found that a linear rate law applied, and intrinsic dissolution fluxes were deduced. The following dissolution fluxes, J(o) = k(diss) x c(eq) were measured, where k(diss) is the dissolution rate constant and c(eq) the calcium sulfate concentration in saturated solution: 5.7 (+/- 1.4) x 10(-9) mol cm(-2) s(-1) for basal plane gypsum and 4.1 (+/- 0.7) x 10(-9) mol cm(-2) s(-1) for calcium sulfate anhydrite. Edge plane gypsum, under the experimental conditions applied, was found to dissolve at a mass transport-controlled rate. The effects of t-tartaric acid, d-tartaric acid, and sodium trimetaphosphate (STMP) as important potential additives of the dissolution process of basal plane gypsum were investigated. It was found that the tartaric acids had little effect but that STMP significantly retarded gypsum dissolution with J(o) = 1.6 (+/- 0.6) x 10(-9) mol cm(-2) s(-1) (5 mM STMP solution). The mode of action of STMP was further elucidated via etch pit morphology studies.

A method for assembling Pt nanoparticles (5nm diameter) on indium tin oxide (ITO) and highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) electrodes, via the potential-assisted deposition of pre-formed perthiolated-β-cyclodextrin-capped Pt nanoparticles is described. Cyclic voltammetry allowed control over the surface coverage of monodisperse Pt nanoparticles in a simple fashion, as evidenced by the voltammetric response and atomic force microscopy of the resulting electrode surface. The Pt nanoparticle arrays formed in this way were electrocatalytically active towards proton reduction-hydrogen evolution. The methodology described thus opens up a new approach for the deposition of metal nanoparticles with controlled surface density for the investigation of electrocatalytic processes.

Two methods for adding electrochemical functionality to ultra-thin Nafion films are described. First, a novel “one-step procedure” to incorporate cationic redox mediators such as methyltrimethylammonioferrocene (FA+), within ultra-thin Nafion films is proposed. Ultra-thin films of Nafion containing FA+, were prepared on indium tin oxide (ITO) electrodes using the Langmuir–Schaefer (LS) technique. The morphology and thickness of the films were evaluated with atomic force microscopy (AFM). Film thicknesses were 1.9±0.3nm per LS layer and voltammetric data confirmed the successful incorporation of the mediator into the films. Key parameters such as surface coverage, concentration of the mediator within the films and apparent diffusion coefficients were extracted. Second, Pd nanoparticles were formed within Nafion LS films by loading pristine films with Pd2+ and then reducing the ions to form Pd. The catalytic properties of this novel nanocomposite for hydrogen oxidation were examined using cyclic voltammetry.