Scanning Electron Microscopy to Study the Nucleation and Growth Phenomena in Liquid Electrolytes under Operando Conditions

Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), while being amongst the most widespread analytical instrumentation, is not widely used to study nucleation and growth (NG) phenomena in liquids. This is, partially due to insufficient exposure of the electrochemical research community to its capabilities. Here, we report on a simple but versatile custom-made setup for liquid phase (LP) SEM to access chemically and electrochemically driven NG processes in liquids. In addition, we will reveal the experimental artifacts and limitations of the technique related to radiation damage of the liquids. Finally, we will discuss a few recent developments in beam damage-free LP SEM imaging in liquids.