The surface force between a silica sphere and a copper electrode was measured in concentrated solutions of MgSO4 with an atomic force microscope as a function of the electrode potential. The interaction between the two surfaces was compared with the DLVO theory, and the surface potential of the copper electrode was determined as a function of the cathodic overpotential. The potential of zero charge of the copper electrode was identified in this way. This was found to correspond to the potential of zero charge obtained from the differential capacitance minimum. Moreover, the influence of the pH on the surface force between silica and copper was examined and the presence of a chemically adsorbed oxygen layer on copper was deduced from force measurements at high pH.

In this paper, the behavior of polystyrene and glass particles on a copper electrode during the electrodeposition of copper was studied using an atomic force microscope (AFM). Polystyrene or glass particles glued to the tip of the AFM cantilever were kept in contact with the surface of the electrode. The surface forces between the polystyrene or glass particle and the copper electrode were measured before, during, and after electrodeposition. These experiments revealed that glass particles do not make contact with the electrode, probably due to the repulsive hydration force. Polystyrene particles, on the other hand, make contact with the electrode, due to the attractive hydrophobic force. The AFM experiments were correlated with sedimentation co-deposition experiments of polystyrene and glass particles with copper. It was found that 80% of the polystyrene particles added to the plating solution incorporated with copper, while only 0.25% of the glass particles co-deposited under the same conditions.

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