Electroreduction of benzyl viologen cations, and nucleation and growth of neutral benzyl viologen species on platinum and mercury electrodes

Abstract

The electrodeposition of neutral benzyl viologen species (BV 0) onto platinum and mercury electrodes from aqueous 0.1 M Na 2SO 4 solutions has been investigated by applying voltammetric and potentiostatic step techniques. It was found that the deposition of BV 0 molecules occurs through direct nucleation onto the electrode surface and three-dimensional growth under mass transport control. The steady state nucleation rate was studied as a function of the overpotential, and the numbers of molecules in the critical nuclei on the different substrates were obtained.