ABSTRACT
From the inception of scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM), attempts to apply the technique to investigations of biological or biochemically relevant problems have been made (1). Measurements with the SECM may be carried out in buffered solutions, a preferred environment for most biological samples, with a scanning electrode that does not touch the specimen and that interferes with the sample much less than tips of alternative scanning probe techniques, e.g., scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). SECM with electrochemical detection of metabolites can be used to map biochemical activity, thereby complementing techniques that image only the topography of biological specimens or biomolecules.
