Electrochemical Deposition of CuSCN Nanorod Arrays by Using EDTA as Chelating Agent

Abstract

In this study we report on the electrodeposition of copper thiocynate (CuSCN) nanorod arrays on ITO substrate from an EDTA-chelated aqueous solution. Effects of molecule ratio of EDTA/Cu²⁺ and deposition time on the properties of CuSCN layers were studied. Results showed that films deposited from an electrolyte with low EDTA amounts were consisted of densely packed nano-crystals, while films deposited with high molecule ratios of EDTA/Cu²⁺ (>0.5) were composed of homogeneous nanorods with their (001) plane perpendicular to the substrate. Further time-dependent study showed that the formation of CuSCN nanorods was initiated at the very beginning of potential application and no intermediate or transitional products were detected during the electrochemical process. Optical analysis showed that films of CuSCN nanorods with a thickness of 100–400 nm had good optical quality, and exhibited the fundamental absorption edge at 320 nm.

Epitaxial Electrodeposition of Hole Transport CuSCN Nanorods on Au(111) at the Wafer Scale and Lift-off to Produce Flexible and Transparent Foils

“…Electrodeposition of rod-like CuSCN was performed in an aqueous CuSO 4 -EDTA-KSCN system as previously reported. ,, The solution was prepared by dissolving 20 mM Cu­(SO 4 )·5H 2 O, 20 mM ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), and various concentrations of KSCN. The concentrations of KSCN for 3R CuSCN and 2H&3R CuSCN were 80 and 40 mM, respectively.…”

“…Electrodeposition of rod-like CuSCN was performed in an aqueous CuSO 4 -EDTA-KSCN system as previously reported. 17,18,23 Electrochemical Analysis. LSVs were acquired on an Autolab 30 potentiostat using a Au RDE (3 mm diameter) at 1000 rpm rotation rate.…”

“…One-dimensional CuSCN nanorod arrays have further attracted attention due to their high surface area and good charge transport properties. − However, the epitaxial growth of CuSCN nanorods with high out-of-plane as well as in-plane order has remained a challenge. Although CuSCN films have been prepared by various solution processes such as spin coating, electrodeposition, − and SILAR methods, the deposited CuSCN is a polycrystalline film − or a film with a fiber texture with no in-plane order, , limiting its hole transport property. Charge carrier transport across the CuSCN layer is affected by grain boundaries and the crystalline orientation, which would especially impact in-plane transport.…”