Figure 2.

(a) Photographs of the top and reverse side of a failed electrode along with SEM images obtained from the labeled locations. The images reveal numerous holes appear on the polymer electrode surface, especially on the edge, after several applications. The nearly spherical holes and the presence of Ag/SiO₂ particles on the surface seem to indicate particle pull-out; and (b) a high-magnification SEM image of the particle surface that seems to indicate that the silver coating is no longer uniform and that the silver is ablated from the silica surface during use.