Electrodeposition of Zinc from a Mixture of Zinc Chloride and Neutral Aluminum Chloride‐1‐Methyl‐3‐ethylimidazolium Chloride Molten Salt

The electrodeposition of zinc on polycrystalline tungsten, and nickel and on glassy carbon was investigated in the mixture of 1:1 zinc chloride‐1‐methyl‐3‐ethylimidazolium chloride and 1:1 aluminum chloride‐1methyl‐ethylimidazolium chloride molten salts. The electrodeposition of zinc on the glassy carbon required a larger nucleation overpotential than on the other two substrates. Analysis of the dimensionless chronoamperometric current‐time transients indicates that the electrodeposition of zinc on these electrodes were involved with progressive three‐dimensional nucleation with diffusion‐controlled growth. Analysis of the nucleation kinetics by using the atomistic theory of nucleation suggested that the active sites on these electrodes surface act effectively as the critical nuclei during the initial stage of the deposition process. The addition of benzene as a cosolvent in the plating solution hinders the zinc nucleation. © 1999 The Electrochemical Society. All rights reserved.