Chapter 3
Experimental Methods
in Characterization of Nanosystems
3.1 The Nature of Such Methodological Overviews
The present book is dedicated to the electrochemical methods that can yield nanostructures. One may ask the question why a methodological chapter should precede
the main part of the entire book discussing the core phenomena. The answer is simple:
a serious knowledge of the fundamentals of characterisation techniques is necessary
for their correct application and also for the ability to critically read and understand
works in which these techniques have been used.
Therefore, the methodological introduction is by far not a formal part of a book.
If a researcher is not aware of the basis of a method, she/he will not strive for its
application, and the information yield of this method cannot be exploited.
Nowadays, even average-level publications use a handful of auxiliary methods
for characterizing the samples synthesized in an electrochemical laboratory. The
knowledge of the possible characterization methods is crucial for both the in-depth
understanding of the publications of other researchers and to become an author who
can perform cutting-the-edge works.
While the awareness of the characterization means cannot be emphasized enough,
it must be also admitted that no electrochemical laboratory can afford the maintenance of the entire range of instruments that is necessary for the characterization of
the electrochemically produced materials. What general-purpose electrochemistry
laboratories can sometimes operate as non-electrochemical characterization facility
of their own includes at most a scanning probe facility, a simple diffractometer or
a photoelectrochemical workstation. Everything else can be reached through some
means of cooperation, and the special knowledge concerning the operation conditions and information yield of the auxiliary instruments comes from the cooperation
partners. This also means that the maintenance and operation of each instrument
suitable for the characterization of electroplated nanostructures make the know-how
of a different profession. For being able to ask the right question related to our reaction product, electrochemists also must be familiar with at least the key features of
the possible characterization techniques, otherwise they were not be acknowledged
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
L. Péter, Electrochemical Methods of Nanostructure Preparation,
Monographs in Electrochemistry, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-69117-2_3
55
Experimental Methods
in Characterization of Nanosystems
3.1 The Nature of Such Methodological Overviews
The present book is dedicated to the electrochemical methods that can yield nanostructures. One may ask the question why a methodological chapter should precede
the main part of the entire book discussing the core phenomena. The answer is simple:
a serious knowledge of the fundamentals of characterisation techniques is necessary
for their correct application and also for the ability to critically read and understand
works in which these techniques have been used.
Therefore, the methodological introduction is by far not a formal part of a book.
If a researcher is not aware of the basis of a method, she/he will not strive for its
application, and the information yield of this method cannot be exploited.
Nowadays, even average-level publications use a handful of auxiliary methods
for characterizing the samples synthesized in an electrochemical laboratory. The
knowledge of the possible characterization methods is crucial for both the in-depth
understanding of the publications of other researchers and to become an author who
can perform cutting-the-edge works.
While the awareness of the characterization means cannot be emphasized enough,
it must be also admitted that no electrochemical laboratory can afford the maintenance of the entire range of instruments that is necessary for the characterization of
the electrochemically produced materials. What general-purpose electrochemistry
laboratories can sometimes operate as non-electrochemical characterization facility
of their own includes at most a scanning probe facility, a simple diffractometer or
a photoelectrochemical workstation. Everything else can be reached through some
means of cooperation, and the special knowledge concerning the operation conditions and information yield of the auxiliary instruments comes from the cooperation
partners. This also means that the maintenance and operation of each instrument
suitable for the characterization of electroplated nanostructures make the know-how
of a different profession. For being able to ask the right question related to our reaction product, electrochemists also must be familiar with at least the key features of
the possible characterization techniques, otherwise they were not be acknowledged
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
L. Péter, Electrochemical Methods of Nanostructure Preparation,
Monographs in Electrochemistry, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-69117-2_3
55