Electrodeposition from aromatic solvents

Abstract

SummaryThis paper describes the development of novel plating baths based on polyaromatic hydrocarbon solvents for the electrodeposition of transition metals. The solvents studied were naphthalene, 1-chloronaphthalene, 1-methylnaphthalene, fluorene, fluoranthene, biphenyl and m-terphenyl.The solubilities and electrical conductivities of a wide range of ionic salts in these solvents have been measured and the results have lead to an understanding of how transition metal ions can be dissolved in non-polar media using simple inorganic procedures.Nickel (II) was chosen as a model system to study the electrochemical behaviour of transition elements in these hydrophobic environments. It was found that thick, bright deposits of nickel could be plated from these solvents, and as an example, the results for molten naphthalene are shown.