E. B. Molodkina

The influence of intermediate particles on the nucleation of copper on polycrystalline platinum

Abstract The influences of the Cu adatoms and Cu + ions on the initial stages of copper electrodeposition on polycrystalline Pt in acidified copper sulphate solution have been studied by cyclic voltammetry, potentiostatic current transients, rotating ring-disk electrode ( rrde ), and in situ scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM). It has been established that during the long-time polarization of the platinum electrode, at potentials close to the copper equilibrium potential, the concentration of Cu + ions in the vicinity of the electrode increases and a Cu microdeposit if formed. The dissolution of the microdeposit occurs very slowly and takes several minutes of potential cycling in the range of 0.27–1.25 V. While the microdeposit is present on the platinum, the electrode surface is more active with respect to upd and bulk copper deposition. The combination of electrochemical and in situ STM results indicates that formation of surface alloy occurs during electrodeposition of copper on polycrystalline platinum.

Mechanism of nitrate electroreduction on Pt(100)

Kinetics and mechanism of nitrate anion reduction on the Pt(100) electrode in perchloric and sulfuric acid solutions are studied. Analysis of the results of electrochemical measurements (combination of potentiostatic treatment and cyclic voltammetry) and the data of in situ IR spectroscopy allow suggesting the following scheme of the nitrate reduction process on Pt(100) differing from that in the literature. If the potential of 0.85 V is chosen as the starting potential for a clean flame-annealed electrode surface and negativegoing (cathodic) potential sweep is applied, then an NO adlayer with the coverage of about 0.5 monolayer is formed on Pt(100) in the nitrate solution already at 0.6 V. The further decrease in the potential results in NO reduction to hydroxylamine or/and ammonia, desorbing products vacate the adsorption sites for nitrate and hydrogen adatoms. At E < 0.1 V, adsorbed hydrogen is mostly present on the surface. During positive-going (anodic) potential sweep, the process of nitrate reduction starts after partial hydrogen desorption, the cathodic peak of nitrate reduction to hydroxylamine or ammonia is observed at 0.32 V on cyclic voltammograms. The process of nitrate anion reduction continues up to 0.7 V; at higher potentials, the surface redox process with participation of hydroxylamine or ammonia (the anodic peak at 0.78 V) and nitrate (the cathodic peak at 0.74 V is due to nitrate reduction to NO on the vacant adsorption sites) occurs.

Initial stages of copper electrocrystallization on a glassy-carbon ring-disk electrode from sulfate electrolytes of various acidity: Potentiostatic current transients

Initial stages of copper electrocrystallization on glassy carbon from sulfuric acid electrolytes of pH 0.3 and 3.7 are studied by the method of potentiostatic current transients on rotating and stationary ring–disk electrode. The rate of copper deposition in a 0.5 M Na2SO4 + 0.01 М CuSO4 (pH 3.7) solution is marginally higher than in a 0.5 M H2SO4 + 0.01 М CuSO4 acid electrolyte (pH 0.3) at the expense of adsorption of sulfate and hydroxide ions on the substrate surface and the copper crystals. Regularities governing the multistage discharge of copper ions, the formation of the new phase nuclei, and the deposit dissolution are analyzed. The results of the study are compared with the data on the kinetics of copper electrocrystallization on a platinum electrode. The acceleration of the copper deposition on glassy carbon in the acid solution of pH 0.3, as compared with platinum, is due to accelerated discharge of copper ions and increased number of univalent copper ions in the near-electrode layer of solution. The oxygen-containing surface groups of glassy carbon (quinone–hydroquinone, carbonyl, etc.) are probably active centers for the discharge of copper ions and three-dimensional nucleation.

Initial Stages of Copper Electrocrystallization on a Glassy-Carbon Ring–Disk Electrode from Sulfate Electrolytes of Various Acidity: A Cyclic Voltammetry Study

Initial stages of copper electrocrystallization on glassy carbon from sulfuric acid electrolytes of pH 0.3 and 3.7 are studied by the cyclic voltammetry method on rotating and stationary ring–disk electrode. The rate of nucleation and growth of a metallic phase of copper in a 0.5 M Na2SO4 + 0.01 М CuSO4 (pH 3.7) solution is marginally higher than in a 0.5 M H2SO4 + 0.01 M CuSO4 acid electrolyte (pH 0.3). Regularities governing the multistage discharge of copper ions, the formation of the new phase nuclei, and the deposit dissolution are analyzed. No copper adlayers form on glassy carbon at potentials more positive than the equilibrium potential of a reversible copper electrode, the copper nucleation occurs via the Volmer–Weber mechanism. The oxygen-containing surface groups of glassy carbon (quinone–hydroquinone, carbonyl, etc.) are probably active centers for the discharge of copper ions and the nucleation of the new phase. The results of the study are compared with the data on the kinetics of copper electrocrystallization on a platinum electrode.

Electrochemical template synthesis of an polyaniline composite with polymeric perfluorinated sulfo cationite

Combining a tracer technique with electrochemical measurements offers a unique opportunity to study the mechanism of anodic synthesis of a composite based on an electron-conducting polymer (polyaniline) and a polymeric perfluorinated sulfo cationite (Nafion, MF-4SK). The composite formation involves two steps. First, the monomer (aniline) is intercalated into the solid-cationite matrix probably with the formation of a template phase, after which postintercalation polymerization of the template occurs.

Methodical aspects of studying the electroreduction of nitrate on modified single crystal Pt(hkl) + Cu electrodes

Technique of modification of basal faces Pt(hkl) by adatoms and epitaxial copper deposits is developed. Analysis of potentiostatic current transients of copper deposition/dissolution and atomic force microscopy showed that the activity of Pt(hkl) faces regarding the processes of copper nucleation and epitaxial growth increases in the sequence of Pt(111) < Pt(110) < Pt(100). The reaction of nitrate anion reduction is sensitive towards the surface structure, not only in the case of platinum, but also in the case of copper deposits (including a monolayer of adatoms). The highest process rate is observed for the Pt(100) electrode modified by a monolayer of adatoms or islands of bulk copper; nitrate reduction at the lowest rate occurs at Pt(111) + Cu electrodes. Structure-sensitive competitive adsorption of background electrolyte and nitrate anions is the factor that largely determines the kinetics of nitrate reduction on different faces of platinum single crystal and copper deposits.

Initial stages of the copper electrocrystallization from a sulfuric acid electrolyte : Chronoamperometry at a platinum ring-disk electrode

Initial stages of the copper electrocrystallization on platinum from a sulfuric acid electrolyte are studied by measuring potentiostatic current transients (the chronoamperometry method) on a rotating and stationary ring-disk electrode. The number of active centers and the copper nucleation rate are shown to substantially depend on the electrochemical pretreatment of the electrode. The mechanism governing the formation of intermediate species (ions Cu+) during the nucleation of a new copper phase and the deposit dissolution is analyzed.

Effect of adsorption of anions on the kinetics of the copper adatom layer formation at polycrystalline platinum

The formation of copper adatom layers at polycrystalline platinum in sulfate and perchlorate solutions is studied by cyclic voltammetry on a ring-disk electrode. Specific adsorption of anions accelerates the copper underpotential deposition by decreasing the positive potential of the dense part of EDL. Of importance is the anion composition of co-adsorption lattices that form at moderate coverages of platinum by copper. Supermonolayer coatings form under the conditions of strong specific adsorption of anions. In a weakly acid sodium sulfate solution, the surface coverage by copper adatoms reaches 1.7 monolayers.

Origin of active copper electrocrystallization centers on platinum

The activation of a platinum electrode in an acid sulfate solution is studied on rotating and stationary disk electrodes by means of cyclic voltammetry. Rates of the adatom layer formation and the phase copper deposition significantly increase following use of a slow potential scan and/or agitation of electrolyte as a result of the interaction between adatoms or ions of copper with adsorbed or dissolved oxygen. Oxide compounds of copper are active centers of a two-dimensional growth of an adatom layer and a three-dimensional nucleation in the course of electrocrystallization.

Initial stages of copper electrocrystallization from sulfate electrolytes: Cyclic voltammetry on a platinum ring-disk electrode

Initial stages of copper electrocrystallization on platinum rotating and stationary ring-disk electrodes are studied in sulfate electrolytes of different acidities by cyclic voltammetry with a variable cathodic limit. In a weakly acid sodium sulfate solution of pH 3.7, copper deposition occurs at a higher rate than in a sulfuric acid electrolyte, which is due to an acceleration of the discharge of copper ions caused by local electrostatic effects that occur during the specific adsorption of sulfate anions and hydroxyl ions and to alterating nature of electroactive species. The mechanism of the formation of intermediate species (ions Cu+) during the deposition and dissolution of copper in solutions of different acidities is established.