Hope College Physics Department
Research Experiences for Undergraduates
Summer 2011
Project Summary

 

Project Title: Characterization of Electrodeposited Nanoporous Materials
Student Name: Kyla Koboski
Student's Home Institution: Hope College
Research Advisor: Dr. Jennifer Hampton
Source of Support:

This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under NSF-REU Grant No. PHY/DMR-1104811, NSF-RUI Grant No. DMR-1104725 and NSF-MRI Grant No. CHE-0959282.

The characterization of nanoporous thin film depositions is done by various analytical processes. These procedures are used to both create and analyze various electrodeposited thin films by measuring capacitance, electrode area, roughness factors and catalytic behavior. The depositions are crafted by using Controlled Potential Electrolysis. In this procedure, the potential at which the metal alloy is deposited is set and either the length of time for the deposition or the total charge of the deposition can be adjusted. Another technique used to analyze the roughness of the depositions is Cyclic Voltammetry. Cyclic Voltammetry uses a controlled working electrode potential at various scan rates and measures the current values. DC Potential Amperometry is a process used to analyze the reactivity of the depositions. When this process is used, a constant potential is applied to the working electrode; the corresponding current due to the desired reaction is measured. These processes were implemented for nickel thin films as a model system to validate their utility.
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