A peculiarity of sulfate copper-plating electrolytes is a possibility of forming of Cu 2+ -S ionic pairs or polynuclear complexes of copper with sulfate ions [2]. The anions were supposed [3] to act as a bridge ligand promoting the electron transfer to the discharging metal ion, thus, in particular, causing a lower electrode polarization in sulfate electrolytes as compared with perchlorate electrolytes. However, replacing the water molecules in the coordination sphere of Cu 2+ cations, organic ligand molecules may be capable of the formation of associates involving sulfate ions, thus causing an "anionic effect" [4]. Electroneutral species, thereby forming in the adsorption layer, can blockade the cathode and significantly inhibit the electrode reaction, which improves the coatings [5]. In this work, we will study copper plating from sulfate baths containing 15-crown-5 cyclic polyester under conditions, when the molecules of both additives and organic component of mixed aqueous-ethanolic solvent adsorb at the cathode.
EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDUREAqueous and aqueous-ethanolic electrolytes (alcohol mole fraction x 2 = 0.04) containing 0.01 M CuSO 4 + 0.5 M H 2 SO 4 + y M MgSO 4 ( y = 0, 0.25, 0.5, and 1.0) were studied. 15-Crown-5 in a concentration of 0.01 mol/l was studied as the additive. Chemically pure recrystallized or distilled reagents and twice-distilled water were used. All electrochemical measurements were performed in an atmosphere of electrolytic hydrogen at 298 K in a three-electrode cell with separated cathodic and anodic compartments. Supporting electro-O 4 2-lytes were subjected to preelectrolysis with the aim of removing electrochemically active impurities. A silverchloride electrode was used as the reference one. The diffusion potential drop was eliminated by the Pleskov method. The chronovoltammetric procedures, as well as estimation and calculation of transient time, are already described in [6], the electrode impedance measurements, in [7], and those of tribotechnical characteristics, in [8]. The adhesion to the substrate was estimated by a bend and scratching tests. Figure 1 gives the initial cathodic polarization plots ∆ E in = E i -E 0 (where E i and E 0 are the Cu potentials under the current and open-circuit conditions, respectively, vs. the polarizing current density i ) determined from potential vs. time oscillograms for various bulk concentrations of sulfate ions . At all of i and studied, a single wave of copper(II) ion reduction was observed. The presence of linear (Tafel) segments in the ∆ E in vs. log i curves indicates that, at the initial instants, the electrode process rate is determined by the electrochemical discharge-desolvation stage. The exchange current i 0 of this stage determined from the above plots in aqueous electrolytes free of additive, monotonically increases with an increase in (Fig. 2a, curve 1 ).
RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONTo reveal the reaction scheme of the processes, we applied diagnostic criteria commonly used in chronovoltammetry and chronopotentiometry [9]. An analysi...