Initial stages of the copper electrocrystallization from a sulfuric acid electrolyte: Chronoamperometry at a platinum ring-disk electrode

Initial stages of the copper electrocrystallization on platinum from a sulf uric acid electrolyte are studied by measuring potentiostatic current trans ients (the chronoamperometry method) on a rotating and stationary ring-disk electrode. The number of active centers and the copper nucleation rate are shown to substantially depend on the electrochemical pretreatment of the e lectrode. The mechanism governing the formation of intermediate species (io ns Cu+) during the nucleation of a new copper phase and the deposit dissolu tion is analyzed.