We are pleased to announce that the work of Paul Dutheil and colleagues has been selected by the Editor-in-Chief of Electrochimica Acta, Prof. Elena Savinova (University of Strasbourg, France), as an Editor's Choice 2026 publication, placing it among the top 2% of papers published in the journal.
In this study, the authors compared the electrodeposition behavior of macroscopic quantities of tellurium (Te) with that of individual Te atoms. While conventional electrodeposition is well understood for bulk materials, the deposition of single atoms is governed by distinct phenomena, most notably underpotential deposition. To enable these atom-at-a-time investigations, carrier-free tellurium was supplied by the PSI SINQ gas-jet system.
The results provide valuable insights into electrochemical processes at the ultimate limit of sensitivity and establish an important foundation for future studies of superheavy elements, where experiments are inherently restricted to only a few atoms, or even a single atom, at a time.
The work was carried out in close collaboration with Martin Heule (Division of Radiation Protection and Safety), reflecting the strong scientific synergies between our groups in the fields of radiochemistry and electrochemistry.
Read the full publication:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0013468626001088