Analytical Sciences

Application of Confocal 3D Micro-XRF for Solid/Liquid Interface Analysis

Kouichi TSUJI,*^,** Tasuku YONEHARA,* and Kazuhiko NAKANO*^,***

*Department of Applied Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka City University, 3-3-138 Sugimoto, Sumiyoshi, Osaka 558-8585, Japan
**PRESTO-JST (Precursory Research for Embryonic Science and Technology, Japan Science and Technology Agency), 4-1-8 Honcho, Kawaguchi, Saitama 332-0012, Japan
***JST Innovation Plaza Osaka, 3-1-10 Technostage, Izumi, Osaka 594-1144, Japan

Solid/liquid interfaces are important locations for various chemical reactions, such as electrode chemical reactions and metal corrosions. Conventional surface analytical methods, such as XPS and SEM-EDS, have been applied to solid materials after being removed from the liquid phase. These methods do not involve direct observation, although useful information is available. It is important to directly observe surface reactions on solid materials in the liquid phase in order to understand the details of these reactions. One feasible method of doing this is 3D micro-XRF analysis. The confocal 3D micro XRF method enables nondestructive x-ray elemental analysis of localized microspace. We have applied a confocal 3D micro-XRF instrument for solid/liquid interface analysis. This technique was applied for direct observation of the chemical deposition of Cu on an Fe plate and the dissolution of Fe in a CuSO₄ solution.

J-STAGE: View this article in J-STAGE