Effects of organic additives on zinc electrodeposition at iron electrodes studied by EQCM and in situ STM

Effects of organic additives, such as benzoic acid (BA) and poly(ethylene glycol)s (PEGs), on the initial stage of the zinc electrodeposition have been investigated at iron electrodes using cyclic voltammetry, electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance measurements and in situ electrochemical scanning tunneling microscopy in an acidic zinc chloride solution in efforts to gain a molecular-level understanding of their roles. BA is adsorbed strongly at the sites of more negative potentials on the electrode, although it is randomly adsorbed on the iron surface at around an open circuit potential. Its role seems to control the deposition rate at the dendritic sites by blocking the active surface via adsorption. On the contrary, PEGs are adsorbed more or less evenly with a well-ordered structure on the iron surface and appear to desorb in the underpotential deposition region of zinc ions, which helps inhibit proton reduction by effectively blocking the electrode surface.