Bismuth and lead underpotential deposition on bismuth telluride: new insights into the electrochemical synthesis of bismuth telluride and evaluation of real surface area

  • Aliaksei S. Bakavets Belarusian State University, Niezaliežnasci avenue, 4, 220030, Minsk
  • Yauhen N. Aniskevich Belarusian State University, Nezavisimosti avenue, 4, 220030, Minsk
  • Genady A. Ragoisha Research Institute for Physical Chemical problems of the Belarusian State University, Leningradskaya street, 14, 220006, Minsk
  • Eugene A. Streltsov Belarusian State University, Nezavisimosti avenue, 4, 220030, Minsk

Abstract

The underpotential deposition (UPD) processes of lead and bismuth on bismuth telluride (Bi2Te3) have been discovered with the underpotential shifts 0.3 V for Pb UPD and 0.1 V for Bi UPD. The Pb UPD was shown to be helpful for bismuth telluride real surface area evaluation. Potentiodynamic profiles of Pb UPD differ significantly on bismuth telluride and tellurium substrates, which helps to control purity of bismuth telluride electrodeposit. Bismuth telluride films were deposited from acidic solution of TeO2 and bismuth salt on steel substrates using potential pulse electrodeposition and cyclic voltammetry (CV). The CV has proved that the stoichiometric bismuth telluride deposition proceeds in the potential range of metallic bismuth anodic oxidation, which excludes metallic Bi as a required intermediate in the sustained electrodeposition of Bi2Te3. Bismuth adatoms are much more stable than metallic (bulk) Bi0 on Bi2Te3 and they are very likely to be involved in the electrodeposition mechanism. The potentials of pulsed electrodeposition were optimized taking into account the UPD of Bi. The absence of Te and Bi phases in electrodeposited Bi2Te3 was proved by XRD and CV. The third form of Bi0 with oxidation potential intermediate between those of bulk Bi0 (first form) and Bi adlayer (second form) has been discovered in the electrodeposition with the excess of Bi3+ in electrolyte and attributed to Bi atoms intercalated in Van der Waals planes of bismuth telluride. The effect of Bi intercalation is of interest as a means of loosening the interlayer interactions in the layered structure of bismuth telluride for its further application in exfoliation procedures.

Author Biographies

Aliaksei S. Bakavets, Belarusian State University, Niezaliežnasci avenue, 4, 220030, Minsk

student at the faculty of chemistry

Yauhen N. Aniskevich, Belarusian State University, Nezavisimosti avenue, 4, 220030, Minsk

student at the faculty of chemistry

Genady A. Ragoisha, Research Institute for Physical Chemical problems of the Belarusian State University, Leningradskaya street, 14, 220006, Minsk

PhD (chemistry), docent; leading researcher

Eugene A. Streltsov, Belarusian State University, Nezavisimosti avenue, 4, 220030, Minsk

doctor of science (chemistry), full professor; head of the department of electrochemistry, faculty of chemistry

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Published
2017-12-01
Keywords: bismuth telluride, electrodeposition, underpotential deposition, UPD
How to Cite
Bakavets, A. S., Aniskevich, Y. N., Ragoisha, G. A., & Streltsov, E. A. (2017). Bismuth and lead underpotential deposition on bismuth telluride: new insights into the electrochemical synthesis of bismuth telluride and evaluation of real surface area. Journal of the Belarusian State University. Chemistry, 2, 3-13. Retrieved from https://journals.bsu.by/index.php/chemistry/article/view/1161
Issue
No 2 (2017): Journal of the Belarusian State University. Chemistry
Section
Original Articles

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