Electrocatalysis of copper deposition from acid sulphate solutions by sulphite and selenite ions

The effects of traces of chloride, sulphur, selenium and tellurium dioxide and the selenate and tellurate ions on the electrodeposition of copper from acid copper sulphate have been studied. Low concentrations of chloride have little effect on deposition kinetics but concentrations up to 20 ppm significantly affect nodule formation. Sulphur dioxide and selenium dioxide are true electrocatalysts for deposition, with SeO₂ the more effective. Molecules in solution immediately adjacent to the electrode appear to be the active catalyst. The catalytic mechanism may be a reduction oxidation cycle involving the elements in unstable forms. The chloride ion is adsorbed according to a Langmuir type isotherm. Adsorbed chloride inhibits catalysis by SO₂ and SeO₂. The electrocatalysts have been used to demonstrate the effect of overpotential on the structure of copper deposited at constant current density.     

Optimization of the electrodeposition of copper on poly-1-naphthylamine for the amperometric detection of carbohydrates in HPLC

A modified electrode consisting of copper dispersed in a poly-1-naphthylamine (p-1-NAP/Cu) film on a glassy carbon electrode was used as an amperometric detector for the on-line analysis of various carbohydrates separated by high performance liquid chromatography. The results obtained with this new sensor were compared to those obtained with a modified electrode based on the same polymer but with copper ions incorporated at open circuit, as described in a previous paper. In this new modified electrode the copper microparticles were electrochemically deposited into the polymeric matrix by single potential step chronoamperometry. A nucleation and growth mechanism was proposed to explain the current transients of copper electrodeposition. The experimental results were fitted to the proposed mechanism by using a mathematical equation that considers three-dimensional growth and progressive nucleation, assuming a no overlap and no diffusion mechanism. Cyclic voltammetric experiments showed that the electrodeposited copper microparticles provided a catalytic surface suited for the oxidation of glucose and several carbohydrates. The sensitivity of the electrode was influenced by the amount of copper electrodeposited, which in turn depended on the applied overpotential used for the deposition of copper. Liquid chromatographic experiments were carried out to test the analytical performance of these electrodes for the determination of various carbohydrates.     

The passivation phenomenon of platinum in fused lithium chloride + potassium chloride eutectic: Part II. Chlorine overpotential and superpassivation of platinum

Platinum is known to have a very high chlorine overpotential, about 0.8 V, in fused lithium chloride + potassium chloride eutectic. The high overpotential can be ascribed to the formation of the thick passivation film of platinum chlorides. The high chlorine overpotential was decreased by the addition of alkali metal oxides and a reversible chlorine evolution was revealed in a similar manner as the graphite electrode. The reversible chlorine evolution was ascribed to the formation of the oxide passivation film. The chlorine overpotential at the oxide film was increased stepwise as the applied potential was made more positive. The stepped transitions of the chlorine overpotential was ascribed to the valence change of the oxide film. Platinum shows a typical N-shaped passivation at +0.65 V versus Ag/AgCl(0.1) which has been ascribed to the dissolution of platinum into Pt(II) ions and following formation of the passivation film of supersaturated Pt(II) chloride. Platinum was found to show another passivation phenomenon at high temperatures, above 450°C. The N-shaped current-potential curve was observed at +1.8 V which was far more positive than the potential of the standard chlorine electrode. The dissolution of platinum prior to the passivation was found to occur due to the formation of high valence platinum ions such as Pt⁶⁺ and Pt⁸⁺.     

纳米铜修饰三维锌网电极的制备及锌离子电池负极的电化学性能

设计构建了纳米铜修饰的三维锌网电极(Nano Cu@3D Zn Mesh, 简称3D Cu-Zn电极), 并将其作为锌沉积的宿主材料用作锌离子电池的负极, 获得了稳定的、 具有长循环寿命的锌负极材料. 3D Cu-Zn电极的三维(3D)锌网骨架和表面均匀分布的3D树枝状纳米铜可以降低局部电流密度, 并为锌的沉积提供结构支撑和容纳空间. 锌网表面具有的较强锌结合能力的铜和后续原位形成的铜锌合金, 可以有效降低锌形核的过电势, 并作为均匀分布的形核位点引导锌的均匀成核和沉积. 这种3D Cu-Zn电极宿主材料表现出较低的形核过电势和界面阻抗, 并在对称电池中表现出优异的循环稳定性, 在0.5 mA/cm²的电流密度下可以稳定循环超过1100 h. 3D Cu-Zn电极与MnO₂组装的全电池表现出更小的极化、 良好的倍率性能和循环性能.     

碱性溶液中电聚酪胺-铜草酸盐纳米复合物修饰铜电极电催化甲醇氧化(英文)

A polytyramine-copper oxalate nanocomposite modified copper(PTCOxNMC) electrode prepared by electropolymerization was examined for electrocatalytic activity towards the oxidation of methanol in alkaline solution using cyclic voltammetry and impedance spectroscopy. The prepared PTCOxNMC electrode showed a significantly high response for adsorbed methanol oxidation. The effects of various parameters such as potential scan rate and methanol concentration on the electrocatalytic oxidation at the surface of the PTCOxNMC electrode were investigated. Spectrometry techniques such as Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy were used to determine the surface physical characteristics of the modified electrode and revealed that the polytyramine-copper oxalate nanocomposite particles were highly dispersed on the surface of the copper electrode with a narrow size up to 40 nm. The very high current density obtained for the catalytic oxidation may have resulted from the high electrode surface area caused by modification with the poly-tyramine-copper oxalate nanocomposite.     

Phenomenology of a formation of a honeycomb-like structure during copper electrodeposition

In this paper, the phenomenology of a formation of a honeycomb-like structure was considered. Copper deposits obtained at overpotential of 1000 mV were examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) technique. It was shown that two groups of craters or holes were formed by the electrodeposition at this overpotential. The origin of one group is associated with hydrogen evolution and the attachment of hydrogen bubbles at the surface area of an electrode. For the origin of the other group, a current distribution at the growing surface was very important. The effect of preparing a working electrode onto the formation of a honeycomb-like structure is also considered.     

Inhibition of copper corrosion in acidic sulphate media by eco-friendly amino acid compound

This investigation aimed to study a “green” non-toxic biodegradable copper corrosion inhibitor in an acidic sodium sulphate solution. The methods used in the investigation of cysteine as a copper corrosion inhibitor in an acidic sodium sulphate solution were: potentiodynamic measurements, open circuit potential measurements, and chronoamperometric measurements. Optical microscopy was used in addition to electrochemical methods. Potentiodynamic measurements show that cysteine has good inhibitory properties in an acidic medium. Polarisation curves indicate that the presence of cysteine in a sulphate solution decreases the current density and that using various cysteine concentrations results in the formation of a protective film on the surface of the electrode due to the formation of the Cu(I)-cys complex. These results are confirmed by chronoamperometric measurements. Furthermore, it is clear from microphotographs that a protective film does form on copper electrode in the presence of cysteine. The Langmuir adsorption isotherm indicates that cysteine is chemisorbed on the surface of the electrode.     

Electrochemical water oxidation by photo-deposited cobalt-based catalyst on a nano-structured TiO2 electrode

A cobalt-based catalyst was directly photo-deposited on the surface of a widely used n-type nano-structured semiconductor(TiO 2).Different thicknesses of the TiO 2 films as well as different time of photo-deposition of the Co-based catalyst on TiO 2 films have been optimized.It was found that the electrode with 3 layers of TiO 2 film(in 8 m thickness) and 1 hour photo-deposition of the cobalt-based catalyst by light irradiation from a 500 W Xenon lamp gave the highest current density(～5 mA/cm 2).Using this cobalt-modified TiO 2 film as a working electrode in an electrochemical device,highly efficient water oxidation has been demonstrated in a pH 7.0 aqueous solution with low overpotential.     

2-甲基吡啶在PbO2-SPE组合电极上的电氧化研究

分别采用热压法和热压-电镀法制备PbO2-SPE组合电极, 通过循环伏安和稳态极化曲线测量, 研究了这两种电极对2-甲基吡啶电氧化反应的电催化活性, 同时考察了工作电极电解液中有、无液相支持电解质电位与电流密度的关系及不同对电极电解液情况下, 电流密度与过电位和过电位与槽压的关系. 通过一般PbO2电极与热压-电镀法PbO2-SPE组合电极在电流密度与过电位和电流密度与槽压变化的比较, 发现热压-电镀法制备的PbO2-SPE组合电极在相同过电位下具有更高的电流密度, 在相同电流密度下具有较低的槽压.     

Sinusoidal voltage modulation of a copper rotating disk electrode

An experimental and theoretical study has been made of the sinusoidal potential modulation of a copper rotating disk electrode in acidic copper sulfate solution. The mathematical model takes into account the fluctuations of the surface concentration, the effect of the double capacitance, the surface overpotential, and the ohmic resistance in the electrolyte. Numerical computations were performed to show the effect of alternating voltage (av) on the shape of direct current polarization curves, the changes in the apparent rest potential, the apparent exchange current density and the apparent Tafel slopes. The agreement between the theory and the experiment was within ±15%. At sufficiently high av frequencies, the model can be further used to predict the av modulation of a rotating hemispherical electrode.     

Highly efficient Fe_xNi_(1-x)O_y/CP electrode prepared via simple soaking and heating treatments for electrocatalytic water oxidation

The oxygen evolution reaction(OER) is a key step in the overall water splitting process. Numerous electrocatalysts have been developed to lower the overpotential and accelerate the kinetics of the OER. In this work, a simple soaking and heating treatment was used to form a stable and efficient Fe_xNi_(1-x)O_y/CP electrode. The electrode combined nickel and iron oxides on a commercial carbon paper were used for electrocatalytic water oxidation. The best Fe_xNi_(1-x)O_y/CP electrode(Ni/Fe = 15/1) displayed a current density of 10 mA/cm~2 at a low overpotential of 290 mV in 0.1 M KOH solution with a Tafel slope of 52 mV/dec.A higher current density of ~50 mA/cm~2 at the same overpotential and a lower Tafel slope of 43 mV/dec was obtained for this electrode in 1.0 M KOH solution. Excellent durability of the Fe_xNi_(1-x)O_y/CP electrode in 1.0 M KOH solution was confirmed under a high current density of 136 mA/cm~2 at an overpotential of 340 mV.     

Dopant-stimulated CuO Nanofibers for Electro-oxidation and Determination of Glucose

We described the preparation of copper oxide composite nanofibers doped with carbon nanotubes (CuO/C-NFs) or nickel oxide(CuO/NiO-NFs) by electrospinning for direct glucose determination. The interest in exploring practical CuO/C-NFs and CuO/NiO-NFs electrode materials for sensor application was fascinated by the possibility of promoting electron transfer for kinetically unfavorable glucose oxidation reactions at a lower overpotential and thus improving the selectivity of the electrode for glucose in electroanalysis. The morphologies of CuO/C-NFs and CuO/NiO-NFs were characterized by scanning electron microscopy(SEM) and X-ray powder diffraction(XRD). The electrocatalytic performances of glucose were evaluated in detail by cyclic voltammetry(CV) and chronoamperometry. Facile charge transport, enhanced current response(at a lower overpotential of +0.35 V), improved stability and selectivity, as well as excellent resistance towards electrode fouling were observed at CuO/ C-NFs electrode in direct glucose electroanalysis. These merits are attributed to the highly porous three-dimensional network film structure of CuO/C-NFs electrode materials and the potential synergic catalytic effect of CuO and carbon nanotubes in composite nanofibers. This study may provide a new insight into metal oxide-based composite nanofibers obtained via electrospinning for fabricating novel and high performance sensors and devices.     

Electrocatalytic oxidation of L-tryptophan using copper hexacyanoferrate film modified gold nanoparticle graphite-wax electrode

A novel copper hexacyanoferrate (CuHCF) film modification on cysteamine (Cys)-gold nanoparticle (AuNp) graphite-wax (GW) composite electrode was achieved for the quantitative determination of L-Tryptophan (L-Trp) at a reduced overpotential of 400mV in comparison with the bare Cys-AuNp-GW composite electrode. This modified electrode exhibited a well resolved pair of redox peaks corresponding to the hexacyanoferrate (II/III) reactions of CuHCF film at a formal potential of 0.65 V at a scan rate of 20 mV s(-1). Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) studies with the modified electrode showed a very low charge transfer resistance to the electron transfer kinetics of Fe(II)/Fe(III) reactions. A linear range of 8.5×10(-7) M to 1.2×10(-4) M with a detection limit of 1.85×10(-8) M was achieved for the determination of L-Trp with a sensitivity of 0.1198 μA/μM. The influence of ultrasonication on the stability of the CuHCF film modified electrode was investigated. In addition, the CuHCF film modified electrode displayed an excellent reproducibility towards the real time analysis of L-Trp in commercial milk samples.     

Aspects of the electrochemistry of lead in acid media: Part III. Active dissolution and the active-passive transition in oxygenated and deoxygenated sulphuric acid solutions

Steady-state current-potential, double-layer capacity and impedance measurements, together with some linear sweep and potentiostatic pulse measurements, have been made on a rotating lead disc electrode in oxygenated and deoxygenated 3.0 M and 0.10 M H₂SO₄ solutions over a wide potential range. Further evidence is provided to support the view that the lead dissolution process is highly reversible even in dilute solution. An examination of the electrochemical parameters which pertain at the point of PbSO₄ nucleation in deoxygenated solutions leads to the conclusion that the process of passivation is not satisfactorily described by either the classical “solid-state” or “dissolution-precipitation” models, but rather by an intermediate mechanism which nevertheless contains some of the elements of the classical theories. Thus, although film growth proceeds directly on the electrode surface, there is strong evidence to suggest that nucleation occurs at a critical surface supersaturation of Pb(II) species and not at a critical potential or overpotential.In oxygenated 3.0 M H₂SO₄ the passivation process occurs at a potential which is 30 mV more cathodic than that in the equivalent deoxygenated solution. It is demonstrated that oxygen enhances the active dissolution of lead at any constant anodic potential by over an order of magnitude. This considerably increases the degree of supersaturation at the electrode surface, thereby facilitating the nucleation of PbSO₄. There is, however, an additional opposing influence of oxygen which appears to reduce the number of PbSO₄ nucleations and inhibit crystal growth. It is postulated that this is caused by interference from intermediates in the oxygen reduction reaction which may become preferentially adsorbed on to sites normally occupied by film nuclei and which may also become incorporated into the film lattice. Thus, despite the fact that nucleation of PbSO₄ occurs at a critical supersaturation, the characteristics of the active - passive transition are influenced by the physical state of the electrode surface in a way which cannot be explained by the classical dissolution-precipitation mechanism. This investigation, therefore, highlights the importance of supersaturation effects in the nucleation and growth of thick insoluble salt layers on metal surfaces.     

Electrochemical and surface analytical study of the formation of oxide films on monel-400 and copper in alkaline media

The nature of the oxide films formed on monel-400 and copper in presence of NaOH and N-methylpyrrolidine (a volatile amine) at pH 9.5 and in 0.1 M KNO₃ medium were investigated. The oxide films were grown by applying an anodic potential of +0.4 V (vs saturated calomel electrode) for 30 min. The compositions of the surface oxide films were analysed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. In the case of copper in NaOH medium, Cu(0) and a very small amount of copper hydroxide were observed. However, in amine medium, Cu(0) and Cu-amine complex were found. For monel in NaOH, the anodic film was found to contain hydroxides of both copper and nickel. After sputtering, this film showed a small amount of metal oxide below the hydroxide layer as confirmed by the oxygen peak. In amine medium the anodic film was found to contain only nickel hydroxide and metallic copper. The depth profile analysis of films showed that the film developed was very thin and the nickel hydroxide was sputtered very easily from the film. Received: 27 May 1997 / Accepted: 8 September 1997     

Experimental and computational study of species formed during electrochemical stripping oxidation of copper in chloride media determination of copper(II) in the ng l(-1) range by stripping potentiometry

A novel glassy carbon electrode design, permitting medium exchange in batch mode without loss of electrode potential control, has been used for the study of copper(I) and copper(II) species formed during constant current stripping oxidation of copper in chloride media. It was found that copper(II) species dominated at chloride concentrations below about 1 mM and that soluble copper(I) species dominated at chloride concentrations above about 100 mM. In the concentration range 1-100 mM, soluble copper(I) and copper(II) species are formed as well as solid copper(I) chloride, the latter giving rise to a split peak as it is further oxidised to copper(II). The experimental results agreed satisfactorily with computer calculated equilibria data using the haltafall program. The medium exchange procedure has, furthermore, been used for the determination of copper(II) in seawater reference samples, 7.5 M ammonium acetate/2.5 M acetic acid being used as stripping medium. The detection limit, after 15 min of electrolysis, was found to be 6 ng l(-1) (0.10 mM) and the relative precision 6-10%.     

Current oscillations during copper electrodissolution under solution sparging in acidic NaCl solutions

Potentiostatic current oscillations were observed during electrodissolution of a helical coiled copper wire electrode in acidic sodium chloride when nitrogen was sparged through the solution. The oscillations were studied as a function of solution pH, chloride ion concentration and sparging rate over the potential range of 0.2 to 0.7 V versus Ag/AgCl (3 M NaCl). The surface morphology of the copper was observed during the oscillatory process using in situ, real-time optical microscopy, and the formation of a surface film was correlated with the oscillations.     

Early Stages of CeO2 Thin-film Nucleation and Growth with Photo Irradiation

In this paper, the early stages of nucleation and photoirradiation growth of CeO₂ thin films have been studied. Cyclic voltammetry, chronoamperometry and scanning electron microscopy were used to analyze the nucleation process of CeO₂ thin films deposited on the anode with photo irradiation. Experimental results show that the anodic deposition process with photo illumination is controlled by diffusion. Compared with the dark state, photo illumination mainly contributed to increase the current density of the three-dimensional nucleation process, because photo illumination is helpful to create active sites and accelerate the nucleation progress on the surface that a thin ceria film has been formed. Two-dimensional nucleation process mainly exists within the initial 2 s, and then only three-dimensional instantaneous nucleation process continues, which may be the main reason why the thickness of the CeO₂ film can continue to grow with photo illumination but not in the dark state. Increasing the deposition overpotential can promote two-dimensional nucleation and growth rate, whilst when the potential exceeds 0.65 V, three-dimensional current density decreases. The li-miting factor at that time may be the diffusion rate of cerium ions in the solution towards the electrode substrate.     

Mutual Influence of Electrode Processes during Electrodeposition of Layered Structures by a Single-Bath Method: Effect of Nickel Deposition and Hydrogen Evolution on the Mass Transfer of Copper in a Sulfosalicylate Electrolyte

The work justifies the selection of a sulfosalicylate copper–nickel electrolyte and its composition for obtaining nanostructures comprising alternate magnetic and nonmagnetic layers by a single-bath method. According to calculations of an equilibrium composition of the electrolyte and electrodiffusion fluxes of discharging species, in a neutral region of pH copper exists in the form of multicharged anions CuSSA^3–, and the migration effects must reduce the rate of the mass transfer of copper-containing species with increasing current of the parallel reaction of discharge of nickel ions. Dependences of the partial current density of copper deposition on the electrode potential are studied at various values of pH of the copper and copper–nickel electrolytes. Experimental results are analyzed on the basis of modeling concepts. It is shown that the drop of the partial current density of copper deposition below its limiting value at potentials of deposition of a magnetic layer is connected with the emergence of migration effects.     

分子前驱体衍生的氧化镍电极催化水氧化性能研究

太阳能分解水制氢是解决当前能源和环境危机的潜在手段之一.其中由于水氧化半反应涉及4个电子和4个质子的转移,因此是全分解水反应的瓶颈所在.为了发展高效的水氧化催化剂,降低水氧化过电位,人们付出了巨大的努力.目前活性最高的水氧化催化剂都是基于钌和铱的贵金属催化剂,高昂的成本阻碍了这些催化剂的规模化应用,因此人们尝试利用各种方法制备基于廉价金属的水氧化催化剂.2008年,Nocera课题组利用电沉积法从磷酸溶液中得到了高活性氧化钴催化剂,之后该法逐渐得到推广.最近,Spiccia和Allen课题组利用分子前驱体通过电沉积法制备了氧化镍催化剂,但其催化活性和稳定性有待进一步提高.本文将一个简单的镍配合物[Ni(en)3]Cl2(en=1,2-乙二胺)作为前驱体溶解到磷酸缓冲溶液中,在FTO基底上电沉积得到具有高催化活性的氧化镍水氧化催化剂.在pH=11的磷酸缓冲溶液中,由分子前驱体沉积所得到的NiOx的催化电流达到1 mA/cm2时的过电位为375 mV,且可稳定工作10 h以上.其催化过程中的Tafel斜率为46 mV/decade,表现出优异的动力学特性.该电极和之前文献中催化活性最高的从分子前驱体衍生得到的NiOx相比展现出较大的优势.比如在1.3 V(相对于NHE)电压下,[Ni(en)3]Cl2衍生的NiOx催化电流密度可以达到8.5 mA/cm2,法拉第效率为98%.而Ni-氨基乙酸衍生的NiOx在相同条件下催化电流密度为4 mA/cm2,法拉第效率仅为60%.该工作充分证明以分子配合物作为前驱体是制备高效高稳定性多相水氧化催化剂的简便途径.有机配体和金属螯合的分子前驱体在结构上具有灵活可调的特性,从而有助于构建活性和效率更高的催化体系.