Electrochemical investigation on the preparation of Lu–Co thin films in dimethylsulfoxide

Cyclic voltammetry and chronopotentiometric and chronoamperometric curves were used to study the electroreduction of Lu3+ in a LiCl + DMSO system. The electrode process of Lu3+ reduced on a Pt electrode occurs in one step: Lu3+ + 3e− → Lu. The transfer coefficient and diffusion coefficient of Lu3+ in the 0.1 mol dm−3 LuCl3 + 0.1 mol dm−3 LiCl + DMSO system were calculated as 0.141 and 2.86 × 10−10 m2 s−1 at 305 K, respectively. The experimental results indicate that a Lu–Co thin film containing 5.65–56.30 wt% Lu was obtained by potentiostatic electrolysis in 0.1 mol dm−3 LuCl3 + 0.1 mol dm−3 CoCl3 + 0.1 mol dm−3 LiCl + DMSO. The surface of the Lu–Co thin film observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was uniform, adhesive and had a metallic luster. The Lu–Co thin films obtained were amorphous as proven by X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD).