Electrochemical Growth of Copper Crystals on SPCE for Electrocatalysis Nitrate Reduction
Roberta Farina,
Giuseppe D’Arrigo,
Alessandra Alberti,
Giuseppe E. Capuano,
Domenico Corso,
Giuseppe A. Screpis,
Maria Anna Coniglio,
Guglielmo G. Condorelli,
Sebania Libertino
Affiliations
Roberta Farina
Istituto per la Microelettronica e Microsistemi—Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR—IMM), Strada VIII Z.I., 5, 95121 Catania, Italy
Giuseppe D’Arrigo
Istituto per la Microelettronica e Microsistemi—Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR—IMM), Strada VIII Z.I., 5, 95121 Catania, Italy
Alessandra Alberti
Istituto per la Microelettronica e Microsistemi—Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR—IMM), Strada VIII Z.I., 5, 95121 Catania, Italy
Giuseppe E. Capuano
Istituto per la Microelettronica e Microsistemi—Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR—IMM), Strada VIII Z.I., 5, 95121 Catania, Italy
Domenico Corso
Istituto per la Microelettronica e Microsistemi—Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR—IMM), Strada VIII Z.I., 5, 95121 Catania, Italy
Giuseppe A. Screpis
Dipartimento di Scienze Mediche, Chirurgiche e Tecnologie Avanzate “G.F. Ingrassia”, Università degli Studi di Catania, via S. Sofia 87, 95123 Catania, Italy
Maria Anna Coniglio
Istituto per la Microelettronica e Microsistemi—Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR—IMM), Strada VIII Z.I., 5, 95121 Catania, Italy
Guglielmo G. Condorelli
Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche, Università degli Studi di Catania, viale A. Doria 6, 95125 Catania, Italy
Sebania Libertino
Istituto per la Microelettronica e Microsistemi—Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR—IMM), Strada VIII Z.I., 5, 95121 Catania, Italy
Copper is efficient, has a high conductivity (5.8 × 107 S/m), and is cost-effective. The use of copper-based catalysts is promising for the electrocatalytic reduction of nitrates. This work aims to grow and characterize copper micro-crystals on Screen-Printed Electrodes (SPEs) for NO3− reduction in water. Copper micro-crystals were grown by cyclic voltammetry. Different cycles (2, 5, 7, 10, 12, 15) of copper electrodeposition were investigated (potential ranges from −1.0 V to 0.0 V, scan rate of 0.1 V s−1). Electrodeposition generated different morphologies of copper crystals on the electrodes, as a function of the number of cycles, with various performances. The presence of numerous edges and defects in the copper micro-crystal structures creates highly reactive active sites, thus favoring nitrate reduction. The manufactured material can be successfully employed for environmental applications.
