Effect of the electrolysis regime on the structural characteristics of honeycomb-like electrodes

Abstract

The effect of different current regimes of electrolysis on the micro- and nanostructural characteristics of open porous structures was examined by the analysis of honeycomb-like copper electrodes obtained by constant galvanostatic (DC) electrodeposition and by regimes of pulsating (PC) and reversing (RC) current. An increase in the number of holes formed by detached hydrogen bubbles, the decrease in wall width between holes and changes in surface morphology around holes from cauliflower-like agglomerates of copper grains to dendrites were observed in the following order: the DC, PC and RC regime. The hole size formed in the RC regime was smaller than the hole size formed in the DC and PC regimes. Analysis of the obtained structural characteristics showed that the specific surface area of the honeycomb-like electrodes was increased by the application of the PC and RC regimes in relation to the DC regime.

Keywords

• copper, electrodeposition
• morphology
• hydrogen bubbles
• dendrite.