Cathodic electrodepositon of CuSCN thin films on F -doped Sn0 2 (FTO) substrates has been investigated in aqueous mixed solution of copper perchlorate and lithium thiocyanate. Cathodic current arose around +0.5 V vs. Ag/ AgCl and reached a plateau below ea. +0.3 V in the mixed solution. Levich analysis of the plateau current confirmed limitation of CuSCN deposition by mass transport. The current was proportional almost symmetrically to the concentrations of Cu 2 + and SCN-, suggesting that transport of their complex was responsible. Absorption spectrum of the mixed solutions indeed revealed an appearance of a new peak only when both Cu 2 + and SCN-were present. Job plot for this peak elucidated formation of 1 to l complex. As the concentration of this active species could be determined from the absorption spectra, Levich analyses at different temperatures made it possible to determine the frequency factor (Do) of and the activation energy (Ea) for the diffusion of (Cu 2 +)(SCN-) complex as 3.24 x 10-2 cm 2 s-1 and 20.1 kJ m or 1 , respectively.

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Solid-state dye-sensitized solar cells based on highly porous ZnO films prepared by template-assisted electrodeposition as electron collector, the indoline dye D149 as sensitizer and CuSCN as hole collector have been prepared using three different methods, namely impregnation with saturated CuSCN solution, successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) and electrodeposition, for filling the pores in the ZnO with CuSCN. The highest pore filling and the highest conversion efficiency of 0.46% were achieved with the impregnation method, while SILAR led to a very low pore filling, causing very low photocurrents, and electrodeposition led to short-circuiting between the CuSCN and the conducting substrate of the ZnO sample despite the presence of a compact ZnO bottom layer between the porous ZnO layer and the conducting layer, causing very low open-circuit voltages.