The Growth of an Electrochemical Garden on a Zinc Electrode

Abstract

AbstractThe far‐from equilibrium precipitation reaction of chemical gardens can lead to the formation of biomimetic and complex structures providing a new route for the rational architectural design of functional materials. Inspired by recent developments in the field of chemical gardens, we put forward a new scientific question: “Is it possible to create an electrochemical garden?” By implementing state‐of‐the‐art electrochemical techniques and using the phenomenon of metal corrosion, we sculpture self‐organized structures on a zinc disc‐electrode surface by a mechanism similar to that of chemical gardens. A deeper search in the formation mechanism reveals that ion‐selective membranes are the driving force for the growth of an electrochemical garden. At last, electrochemical instabilities, introduced under proper conditions, result in the emergence of current oscillations in the region where electrochemical gardens were discovered. Current oscillations sculpture the electrode surface with a variety of self‐organized precipitate structures.