Formation and properties of UPD copper deposits on polycrystalline platinum electrodes

Effects of anions on the underpotential deposition behavior of Cu on polycrystalline Pt

The process of Cu underpotential deposition (UPD) on polycrystalline Pt (pc Pt) has been investigated by cyclic voltammetry, chronoamperometry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy techniques using (bi)sulfate and perchlorate (with/without the addition of a small amount of NaCl) as supporting electrolytes, respectively. The results showed that the adsorption capacity of the anions influences both the reversibility and charge transfer resistance (R_ct) of Cu UPD reactions on pc Pt. With a negative shift of the applied potential, R_ct of the (bi)sulfate system decreases monotonously, whereas R_ct of the perchlorate system (with/without Cl⁻ ions) decreases at first and then increases. Cu UPD on pc Pt follows Langmuir-type adsorption and two-dimensional nucleation/growth mechanisms. The specific adsorption anions ((bi)sulfate and chloride ions) can not only enhance the Cu UPD process by decreasing R_ct, but also favor instantaneous 2D nucleation and subsequent grain growth. Finally, the possible deposition mechanisms of the Cu UPD process in the presence of specific adsorption anions were proposed.

Effects of anions on underpotential deposition behavior of Cu at polycrystalline Pt has been investigated by cyclic voltammetry, chronoamperometry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy techniques.

Co-adsorbtion of Cu and Keggin type polytungstates on polycrystalline Pt: interplay of atomic and molecular UPD

Second harmonic generation (SHG), electrochemical quartz microbalance (EQCM), and cyclic voltammetry are applied to clarify the structure and properties of Cu adlayers formed in the presence of Keggin polytungstate anions. For 0.02-10 mM CuSO4 solutions, no pronounced suppression of underpotential copper deposition (Cu UPD) by 0.1-10 mM H3PW12O40 (PW12) or H4SiW12O40 (SiW12) is observed in electrochemical experiments. Moreover, coadsorption with polyanions results in an increase of charge in the Cu UPD region. EQCM data demonstrate high surface coverage with polytungstate in the overall potential range and their pronounced co-adsorption with Cu2+ cations under open circuit. The unusual potential dependence of EQCM response of polytungstates is discovered and discussed in terms of anion interactions with adsorbed hydrogen. The SHG response of Cu UPD demonstrates a non-linear dependence on Cu surface coverage, which is interpreted in terms of discontinuous submonolayers consisting of 2D Cu islands. The additives of PW12 or SiW12 decrease copper SHG response at low and high CuSO4 concentrations, with minor effect for a mid range of concentrations. In all mixed solutions, the potential dependence of the SHG response remains typical for Cu UPD, not for polytungstates. SHG transients measured under potential step mode demonstrate that the initial non-steady-state SHG behavior of the adlayer is more close to the behavior of polytungstates, but typical copper features appear at longer wavelength. These facts favor the hypothesis of Cu adatom penetration through anionic adlayers and formation of a metal submonolayer at the vacant areas between large quasi-spherical polyanions, with subsequent transformation into a Pt/Cu/polytungstate layered structure.

The Surface Roughness of a Silver Electrode during Electrocrystallization in Cyanide Electroplating Bath

The effect of CN