Electrodeposition of Ni–Fe alloy from solutions based on deep eutectic solvent ethaline

Abstract

The kinetics of сodeposition of nickel and iron in an electrolyte based on a deep eutectic solvent (ethaline) was studied by voltammetry method. It was established that the partial voltammograms of iron ions reduction during alloy electrodeposition correspond to the region of electrode potentials, which is more than 100 mV positive in comparison with the electrodeposition potentials of pure iron. It was shown that the acceleration of iron ion electroreduction is associated with the gain in energy due to the alloy formation and a decrease in the overvoltage of iron electrodeposition during alloying. The change in the kinetics of iron electrodeposition can be explained by both a change in the mechanism of its electrodeposition in conjunction with nickel and a change in the state of the electrode surface in the potential region of the alloy formation. Comparison between the ratio of the content of the alloy components in the metal and the corresponding ions in the electrolyte showed that nickel and iron electrodeposit into the alloy in quantities that are proportional to their content in the electrolyte. Thus, electrodeposition of nickel-iron alloy from ethaline with a water content of up to 3% occurs by the so-called normal mechanism.