Scanning photoelectron spectromicroscopy: from static to operando studies of functional materials

The scanning photoelectron microscope (SPEM), developed more than 30 years ago, has undergone numerous technical developments, providing an incredibly vast kind of feasible sample environments, which span from the traditional high spatial resolution core level based chemical analysis to in-situ and operando complex experiments, including also electrochemical setups operational electronic devices at various temperatures. Another important step ahead is overcoming so-called pressure gap for studies, recently extended near ambient values by building special environmental cells. Using recent results conventional unconventional obtained with SPEM ESCA Microscopy beamline Elettra-Sincrotrone Trieste present review demonstrates current potential this type spectromicroscopy explore interfacial properties functional materials resolution.