Electrochemical deposition and characterization of copper crystals on polyaniline/poly(ethylene terephthalate) conductive textiles

• Cu layers on conductive textiles were electroplated galvanostatically.
• Electrochemical characterizations of the electrodeposition process were detected. Granular and dendrite crystals were obtained as current density and time controlled.
• Chemical compositions of Cu–polymer surfaces were deduced from EDX and XPS analysis.
• Cu deposits displayed crystallographic structures with a preferred (1 1 1) orientation.

Electrodeposition of copper was performed on the polyaniline/poly(ethylene terephthalate) conductive textiles in an aqueous electrolyte solution. The investigations of electrochemical deposition and dissolution processes of copper on and from textile electrodes were studied using cyclic voltammetry technique. Galvanostatic experiments give the evidence for reduction reactions of polyaniline layers and copper ions. The morphology observations by scanning electron microscopy show the nodular crystal and 3D branching microstructure of the coatings depend on the parameters current density and time of the copper electroreduction. Effects of current density and depositing time on the composition of the metallic-polymer layers on textile substrates were confirmed by energy dispersive X-ray and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. X-ray diffraction measurements for the copper films galvanostatically formed display the crystallographic structures with a preferred orientation.

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