Imaging the driving force in electrochemistry

Any electrochemical process is driven by - or drive - the involved electrical potentials in a range of important processes such as batteries, electrocatalysis, corrosion, and even biological systems. What if we could directly take an image of the electrical potential in liquids to map it out? This would enable us to directly imaging the driving force causing a process rather than merely observe the effect of it. This experiment project aims to quantitatively map potentials on the nanoscale in dynamic liquid processes. Given the electrical force is the strongest force in liquid phase interactions, creating a completely new window to understanding this important interaction, helping giving new insight to many processes that are fundamental to several technologies urgently needed in society’s energy transformation.