Evidence-Guided SEM–EDX Assessment of Electrodeposited Copper on a Screen-Printed Carbon Electrode: A Retrospective Case Study

Copper-modified screen-printed carbon electrodes require morphological and compositional assessment before further functionalization. This retrospective single-electrode study organizes SEM–EDX evidence into local composition, local coating interpretation, strip-region localization, and analytical traceability. The reported Phenom XL G2 record comprised three SEM fields, ten point spectra, and one 64 × 41-pixel map. Point Cu values ranged from 24.07 to 63.04 at.% in Image 1 at 15 kV and from 5.04 to 88.87 at.% in Image 2 at 10 kV; four additional points were reported for Image 3 at 10 kV without individual values in the article. The 15 kV map output contained 38.64 at.% Cu and 45.25 at.% C. These field-specific descriptors are consistent with a heterogeneous Cu-containing carbon surface, but do not isolate deposition variability from sampling and measurement effects. A matched bare-electrode control, complete quantification settings, and registered strip coordinates were not documented; manufacturing reproducibility was not evaluated. Previously published regional context was kept separate from the primary record. The contribution is a claim-bounded reporting framework that exposes these evidentiary gaps. Independent electrodes, native analytical exports, standardized acquisition, and uncertainty-based sampling are required for prospective validation.