Nanoscale electrodeposition of low-dimensional metal phases and clusters

The present status of the problem of electrochemical formation of low-dimensional metal phases is reviewed. The progress in this field achieved in the last two decades is discussed on the basis of experimental results obtained in selected electrochemical systems with well defined single crystal substrates. The influence of crystallographic orientation and surface inhomogeneities of foreign substrates on the mechanism of formation and the atomic structure of two-dimensional (2D) metal phases in the underpotential deposition range is considered. The localized electrodeposition of metal nanoclusters on solid state surfaces applying the STM-tip as a nanoelectrode is demonstrated.