Electrochemical codeposition of copper and manganese from room-temperature N-butyl-N-methylpyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide ionic liquid

The voltammetric behavior of N-butyl-N-methylpyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide ionic liquid (BMP-TFSI) containing Cu(I), Mn(II), or mixtures of Cu(I) and Mn(II) as well as the electrodeposition of copper–manganese alloy coatings (Cu–Mn alloy coatings) was studied at 323 K. The Cu(I) and Mn(II) species required to prepare these coatings were introduced into the BMP-TFSI by anodic dissolution of the relevant metallic electrodes. Electrodeposits of Cu, Mn, and Cu–Mn with various contents of Mn can be obtained by controlled-potential electrolysis. It was found that the compositions and surface morphology of the electrodeposited Cu–Mn alloy coatings depend on the deposition potentials and the concentration ratio of [Cu(I)]/[Mn(II)] in BMP-TFSI. The Cu–Mn alloy coatings obtained in this study were compact and adherent. They did not show any significant X-ray diffraction signal that could be assigned to the crystalline structures of Cu, Mn, or Cu–Mn alloys. In the aqueous solution containing 0.1 M NaCl, the Cu–Mn alloy coatings demonstrated passive behavior—no continuous oxidation was observed. However, a significant oxidation current was observed at the electrodes deposited with Cu or Mn.