What is Electrodeposition? Discuss in brief.

• Electrodeposition is a well-known conventional surface modification method to improve the

surface characteristics, decorative an functional, of a wide variety of materials. Now,
electrodeposition is emerging as an accepted versatile technique for the preparation of
nanomaterial.
• Another name for electrodeposition is electroplating and this technique is an inexpensive one to
prepare thin layers of high quality metals over the inexpensive and easily available base
materials. It is an electrochemical process where metal ions are transferred from a solution and
are deposited as a thin layer onto surface of a cathode.
• It is used to coat electrically conductive textile materials with a metal layer by applying electrical
current which ends in forming a thick, stiff and heavy metal coat on textile. Some of the metals
that can be coated on fabric surfaces using this technique are cadmium, chromium, copper, gold,
iron, nickel, silver and zinc. The electrolytic cell, in which this electrodeposition process occurs,
contains an electrolyte and two electrodes.

What are the steps of Electrodeposition process?

 Assembling an electric circuit.
 Cleaning copper and zinc electrodes.
 Installing the electrodes in a solution of zinc nitrate.
 Turning the switch on to start the process.
 Turning the copper electrode around at some point in the process so that both sides are
electrodeposited somewhat evenly.
 Stopping electrodeposition when the copper electrode seems to be fairly well covered with
visible coating zinc.
 Carefully putting the electrodes on a paper towel to dry before making measurements of the
length and width of the electroplated zinc metal.
 Using scientific notation to calculate the thickness of the layer of zinc metal.
What are the steps for calculating the thickness of thin film by using Electrodeposition
Technique?
1. The number of electrons that zinc ions gained in a time period
2. The number of zinc atoms that formed
3. The number of atoms of zinc in a row across the width of the copper electrode
4. The number of atoms in a column along the length of the electrode that was in the solution
5. The number of atoms in one rectangular layer on one side of the copper electrode.
6. The number of atoms that formed a single layer on both sides of the copper electrode
7. The average number of layers of zinc atoms
8. The average thickness of the layer of zinc

Calculate thickness of thin film by using Electrodeposition technique.

Sample Data
 Time of Trial: 5 minutes = 3.0 x seconds

 Width of copper electrode in the solution 2 cm = 2.0 x meters

 Length of electrode in the solution 5 cm = 5.0 x meters
 Average ammeter reading 17 mill amperes
 Average ammeter reading 0.017 ampere = 1.7 x Coulomb/sec

Step 1: Calculate the number of electrons that zinc ions gains in 5 minutes.

(1.7 x C/s)(6.24 x e/C)(3.0 x s) = 3.18 x e

Step 2: Calculate the number of zinc atoms that formed.
(3.18 x e)/ (2 electrons for each Zn ion) = 1.59 x atoms of Zn formed

A zinc atom has a diameter of 2.59 x meters

Step 3: Calculate the number of atoms of zinc in a row across the width of the copper electrode.

(2.0 x m ) / (2.59 x m/atom) = 7.72 x atoms in a row

Step 4: Calculate the number of atoms in a column along the length of the electrode that was in the
solution.
(5.0 x m ) / (2.59 x m/atom) = 1.93 x atoms in a column
Step 5: Calculate the number of atoms in one rectangular layer on one side of the copper electrode.
(7.72 x atoms in a row) x (1.93 x atoms in a column) = 1.49 x atoms
Zinc atoms were electrodeposited on both sides of the Copper Electrode.
Step 6: Calculate the number of atoms that formed a single layer on both sides of the copper electrode.
2 x 1.49 x atoms = 2.98 x atoms
Step 7: Calculate the average number of layers of zinc atoms.
(1.59 x atoms of zinc) / (2.98 x atoms / layer) = 5.34 x layers of atoms
Step 8: Calculate the average thickness of the layer of zinc.
5.34 x layers x 2.48 x m/layer = 13.24 x m

The calculation of the thickness was based on an assumption that there were an equal number of
zinc atoms in each layer.

Why choose Electrodeposition to make nanostructures?

 The process is easy to manage and only needs simple equipment.
 It is easy to control the deposition rate by manipulating voltage, current, and solution
concentrations.

What is Anodization? Discuss in brief.

Anodization is a unique electrochemical process to prepare oxide thin films of certain metals like
aluminium, niobium, tantalum, titanium, tungsten and zirconium in which aluminium, niobium and
tantalum oxide thin films play vital role as capacitor dielectrics in commercial and technological field.
The thickness and properties of the thin films deposited in this method depend on the metal. Thick oxide
coatings of aluminium obtained by anodizing aluminium alloys in particular acidic electrolytes show high
density of microscopic pores which make them applicable as corrosion preventives in automobiles and
aerospace structures and also as electrical insulation. The anodizing cell contains the metal work piece as
anode by connecting it to the positive terminal of a dc power supply and any electronic conductor which
is inert in the anodizing bath as cathode by connecting to the negative terminal of the supply.
When the dc power supply is switched on, electrons are thrown out of the metal surface which acts as
a positive terminal leaving behind ions and these ions on the metal surface interact with water and form
an oxide layer upon the metal. Hydrogen gas is formed when the electrons react with the hydrogen ions in
the cathode during their return path. The electrolytes in the anodizing cell should be carefully selected so
that the oxide layer will be insoluble in it and also the bath composition should be carefully studied as the
formation of a barrier or a porous thin film depends mainly on it. 4-5 μm long nanotubes of mixed V2O5 –
TiO2 arrays were deposited on Ti-V alloy plates and Ti foils by anodization.