Impedance of copper electrode in slightly acid Cu(II)-glycine solutions

Abstract

Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy was used to study the kinetics of reduction of Cu (II) in weakly acidic (pH 4 and 5) solutions of Cu (II) containing glycine (0.04 or 0.1 M) as a complexing agent. A rather slow equilibration was observed at pH 4 and glycine concentration cL = 0.04 M. With increasing pH or cL, the total concentration of intermediate Cu(I) decreases. At the same time, impedance increases over the entire range of frequencies applied. An equivalent circuit with two parallel sub-circuits, each containing the charge transfer resistance and Warburg impedance in series, was used to quantify the impedance spectra. The exchange current densities of two consecutive one-electron transfers were estimated. Their average values are ~1 µA cm–2 and ~0.1 mA cm–2.