Electrochemistry of the system Cu(II)Cu(I)Cu(0) in acidified thiocyanate solutions

Abstract

The system Cu(II)Cu(I)Cu(0) in acidified thiocyanate medium was investigated at carbon, mercury, and copper amalgam electrodes using cyclic voltammetry, normal, differential and reverse pulse voltammetry, double potential step chronocoulometry, and exhaustive coulometry. Reduction of Cu(II) to Cu(I) on carbon electrodes proceeds quasireversibly. At moderate concentrations of Cu(II) and SCN − the reduction of Cu(II) leads to three-dimensional precipitation of CuSCN which can be deposited at the electrode surface. At high concentration of SCN − complexation dominates over precipitation and only soluble species are formed. At mercury and copper amalgam electrodes the situation is more complicated. The three- dimensional precipitation is preceded by strong thiocyanate-induced adsorption of Cu(I) which results in formation of a mono layer at potential well-separated from those where diffusing product is formed.