Quantifying electrochemical nucleation and growth of nanoscale clusters using real-time kinetic data

Electrochemical techniques are used widely for the fabrication of nanostructured materials, yet a quantitative understanding of nucleation and growth remains elusive. Here we probe electrochemical nucleation and growth of individual nanoclusters in real time by combining current-time measurements with simultaneous video imaging. We show discrepancies between the growth kinetics measured for individual nanoclusters and the predictions of models, and we describe a significant revision to conventional models that can explain the results. This improved understanding of nucleation and growth allows a more quantitative approach to the electrochemical fabrication of nanoscale structures.