Metals, minerals, and plastics are all subject
to the destructive power of corrosion —
affecting billions of dollars of repair and
replacement costs per annum. It is not,
however, a one-sided battle. Public and
private sectors combat corrosion by pouring
billions of dollars into research aimed at
developing advanced corrosion-resistant
materials, corrosion-resistant paints and
coatings, and corrosion inhibitors.
Corrosion is an interfacial phenomenon,
occurring at solid surfaces in contact with
gases or liquids. Although it often has
macroscopic consequences, corrosion
typically begins at the atomic level. These
factors make corrosion processes ideal
candidates for study via in situ scanning
probe microscopy (SPM), a highly sensitive
surface technique that can be utilized in
the presence of a wide range of corrosive
solutions and gases. The versatility of in situ
SPM enables direct, real-time observation of
corrosional processes with atomic or near-
atomic resolution, often providing valuable
kinetic information as well as important
structural data.