AFM studies of metal deposition: instantaneous nucleation and the growth of cobalt nanoparticles on boron-doped diamond electrodes. |
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Authors: | Andrew O Simm Xiaobo Ji Craig E Banks Michael E Hyde Richard G Compton |
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Affiliation: | Physical and Theoretical Chemistry Laboratory, Oxford University, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QZ, United Kingdom. |
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Abstract: | In situ atomic force microscopy (AFM) is used to study the growth of cobalt nuclei on a boron doped diamond electrode under potentiostatic control. The rate of growth of the nuclei at the electrode surface is monitored using AFM as a function of time at different deposition potentials. The nucleation of cobalt nuclei is found to be "instantaneous" and the growth of the nuclei is shown to be kinetically rather than diffusionally controlled over periods of tens and hundreds of seconds. At very short times (<10 seconds) the kinetics of nucleation are apparent. |
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Keywords: | atomic force microscopy cobalt cyclic voltammetry nanostructures surface chemistry |
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