How ultrasound influences the electrodeposition of metals

The mechanism of deposition of zinc, lead, cobalt and mercury on glassy carbon has been studied under the influence of power ultrasound (20 kHz), using cyclic voltammetry. Systems of relatively high metal concentration (1 M) and low concentration (10 mM) were compared, and the effects of the application of different ultrasonic intensities, from silent conditions to 238 W cm−2 investigated. Ultrasound was found to have a significant effect on the deposition part of the cycle in systems in which deposition is under diffusion control, while little, if any, effect was observed on systems in which deposition is under interfacial/charge transfer control. Ultrasound also affected the size of the stripping peak relative to the deposition peak, with the precise effect dependent on the deposition mechanism of the system. At high intensities, the ablative power of ultrasound was observed.