Uses of Scanning Electrochemical Microscopy (SECM) for the Characterization with Spatial and Chemical Resolution of Thin Surface Layers and Coating Systems Applied on Metals: A Review

Scanning Electrochemical Microscopy (SECM) is increasingly used in the study and characterization of thin surface films as well organic inorganic coatings applied on metals for collection spatially- chemically-resolved information localized reactions related to material degradation processes. The movement a microelectrode (ME) close proximity interface under allows application various experimental procedures that can be classified into amperometric potentiometric operations depending either sensing faradaic currents or concentration distributions resulting from corrosion process. Quantitative analysis performed using ME signal, thus revealing different sample properties and/or influence environment variables observed length scales. In this way, identification earlier stages initiation, adsorption formation inhibitor layers, monitoring water specific ions uptake by intact polymeric protection lixiviation, detection coating swelling—which constitutes blistering—have been successfully achieved. Unfortunately, despite these successful applications SECM layers systems metallic materials, we often find scientific literature insufficient even inadequate description conditions reliability reproducibility data validation. This review focuses specifically features continuation previous describing field.