Electrochemicaldeposition: Concepts related to the early stages of the formation of a new phase (micro or nanoscale)

 

The electrocrystallization of metal deposits on foreign substrates continues to command a great deal of interest in modern electrochemistry due to its technological importance. Recently, tremendous progress has been made in metal deposition studies through the use of scanning probe microscopy (SPM), scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) to visualize directly the metallic deposit on the electrode surface especially at atomic resolution. In particular, this approach has been very useful for the study of the deposition processes of metals (at underpotential conditions) on single crystal electrode surfaces. However, STM and AFM supply structural information (e.g. the structure and morphology of the deposit) without distinguishing the properties of the deposit and the kinetics of its formation. In order to define and characterize the mechanism and kinetics of the deposition process in a quantitative way, classical electrochemical techniques such as current transient measurements have to be used.

Content

  1. Introduction to electrochemicaldeposition

    1. General aspect of electrodeposition (electrocrystallization)

    2. Thermodynamics considerations

    3. Description of electrocrystallization models

  2. Description of different steps couple to electrocrystallization processes

    1. Adsorption steps

    2. Diffusion steps

    3. Secondary reaction

  3. Description of different type of nucleation and growth

    1. Two-dimensional (2D) growth: Instantaneous and progressive nucleation

    2. Three-dimensional (2D) growth: Instantaneous and progressive nucleation

    3. Electrochemical techniques used in the characterization and analysis of different responses associated to nucleation and growth

      1. Voltammetric analysis

      2. Chronoamperometric analysis

  4. Analysis of transient potentiostatic

    1. Theoretical analysis non-dimensional curves for two-dimensional (2D) growth

    2. Theoretical analysis non-dimensional curves for three-dimensional (3D) growth

    3. Description of electrocrystallization processes: kinetic parameters   

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