Electroless deposition of metallic silver from a choline chloride-based ionic liquid: a study using acoustic impedance spectroscopy, SEM and atomic force microscopy

In this paper, we describe the first example of a sustained galvanic coating deposited on a surface from a non-aqueous liquid. We present the surface characterization of electroless silver deposits on copper substrates from a solution of Ag(+) ions in an ionic liquid based on a choline chloride (ChCl) eutectic. Through a study of these deposits and the mechanism of formation using acoustic impedance spectroscopy (QCM), probe microscopy (AFM) and electron microscopy (SEM/EDX), we demonstrate that sustained growth of the silver deposit is facilitated by the porous nature of the silver. This is in contrast to the dip-coating reaction of silver ions in aqueous media, where the reaction stops when surface coverage is reached. Electroless silver deposits of up to several microns have been obtained by dip coating in ionic liquids without the use of catalysts of strong inorganic acids.