Kinetics of Cu2O electrocrystallization under magnetic fields

The magnetic field effects on cuprous oxide cathodic electrodeposition from alkaline cupric lactate solution have been investigated at 70 °C by electrochemical and physical techniques.Stationary analyses exhibit a tenuous decrease of the plateau electrolytic current as the magnetic field increases. Due to the limited diffusion process of the hydroxide species which reacts during the electrochemical process, a magnetically induced effect can be suspected but deposition of Cu2O that covers the electrode and “passivates” the surface leads to antagonist effects that explain the current decrease.For a cathodic applied potential corresponding to the current plateau, X-ray diffraction studies reveal the formation of single phase cubic Cu2O films with or without magnetic field, but a change in electrocrystallization kinetics of Cu2O is observed in the presence of the magnetic field. Analyses of the transient current curves reveal a convective effect of the magnetic field from the very first moments of the electrocrystallization.