Redox flow batteries (RFB) are needed for large-scale stationary energy storage applications. At the moment, majority of the commercially deployed RFBs are based on vanadium. However, limited availability of vanadium and high cost hampers further expansion of this technology. Additionally, its high toxicity raises environmental concerns. Therefore, development of RFBs that uses abundant and environmentally friendly metals is necessary. One way to achieve this is to use deep eutectic solvents (DES) which are non-toxic, inexpensive, and with a tunable electrochemical stability window to allow redox reactions and electrodeposition of a wide range of metals. A metal of immediate interest is copper since it is abundant and environmentally benign.<br/>The objective of the present work is to study copper electrodeposition on platinum and glassy carbon from ethaline, a deep eutectic solvent formed from a 1:2 molar ratio of choline chloride and ethylene glycol. Electrodeposition was examined from both Cu(II) and Cu(I) containing solutions. Polarization behavior and electronucleation mechanisms were studied by cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry, respectively. Effect of the substrate was examined by comparing electrodeposition on platinum vs. glassy carbon since they represent two chemically and crystallographically different substrates. Since ethaline possesses high chloride concentration (4.3 M), a parallel study in aqueous 3M NaCl solution was conducted in order to examine the influence of the chloride medium on the electrodeposition process. Scharifker-Hills modes were used to deduce nucleation mechanism from chronoamperometry data. Diffusion coefficients of the copper species were also determined. The study provided deeper insights into the electrodeposition mechanisms when using deep eutectic solvent electrolytes.

Copper electrodeposition from deep eutectic solvent on platinum and glassy carbon

Macromolecular Chemistry: The Second Century

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ACS Spring 2020 National Meeting & Expo

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.