First-principle study of the oxidation mechanism of formaldehyde and hypophosphite for copper and nickel electroless deposition process

Electroless Plating of Metal Nanomaterials

“…While reducer conversion often represents the rate‐determining step, [30] the activation energies of anodic reducer oxidation are typically below those of the net plating reaction, probably because the former does not account for additional relevant barriers (metal ion stabilization by complexation, cathodic metal deposition) [31] . Individual reaction steps and intermediate energies can be resolved with theoretical bonding studies [32] . Energy differences between the competing reaction pathways are difficult to quantify, since these involve complicating factors such as nucleation steps, interfacial interactions, and transitioning mechanisms.…”

“…[31] Individual reaction steps and intermediate energies can be resolved with theoretical bonding studies. [32] Energy differences between the competing reaction pathways are difficult to quantify, since these involve complicating factors such as After studying chemistry in Ulm and Marburg, Falk Muench received his Ph.D. degree from the Technical University of Darmstadt in 2013, followed by research in the groups of Prof. W. Ensinger (Technical University of Darmstadt) and Prof. I. Rubinstein (Weizmann Institute of Science).…”

Electroless deposition of Ni–P/Au coating on Cu substrate with improved corrosion resistance from Au(iii)–DMH based cyanide-free plating bath using hypophosphite as a reducing agent

“…S10 (ESI) and Table S4 † (ESI), meaning that the catalytic properties of Au for H 2 PO 2 − may resemble that of Cu. Onabuta et al 72 also reported that H 2 PO 2 − adsorbed on the copper surface via O atom by the first-principle study. Kunimoto et al 74 reported that H 2 PO 2 − adsorbed on Ni clusters relying on H atoms, while O atoms were far away.…”

“…This relationship between H 2 PO 2 À and Ni has been fully proven and studied in the eld of nickel plating. 30,71,72 In the gold deposition process, nickel is a kind of substrate, so the deposition process has the characteristics of substrate catalytic reduction. 35 We are more concerned about whether there is autocatalytic reduction in addition to substrate catalysis, which can deepen our understanding of the reaction process.…”

“…However, the stable adsorption of H 2 PO 2 À on the metal relying on the orbital interaction is the key to the high catalytic activity of the metal for H 2 PO 2 À . 71,72 Quantum chemistry calculation results showed that the adsorption structures of H 2 PO 2 À on Au and Cu did not meet this requirement, meaning that there was no autocatalytic reduction in deposition process.…”