Self-Organization Phenomena During Electrodeposition of Ag-In Alloys

Self-organization is the spontaneous formation of spatial, temporal, spatio-temporal structures in systems composed by several components. Self-organization in the case of electrodeposition of alloys can be considered as concentration fluctuation of the metal ions on the electrode surface and this is spontaneously amplified by the coupling between the nature of the electrodeposited ions and the flow of the electrolyte solution. The electrodeposition of Co-In alloys obtained from citrate electrolyte offers the possibility to investigate the process of formation and development of spatiotemporal structures like waves, spirals and target patterns on the electrode surface. Cyclic voltammetry investigations were performed onto a Pt electrode in order to investigate the electrode procesess. Co-In alloy coatings with a thickness between 5-7 μm were deposited onto Cu substrates, with an area of 2x1 cm, using Pt anodes. It was established that the structures can be observed at current densities of about 0.8-1.5 A dm −2 .