Unusual concentration impedance for catalytic copper deposition

Recently a new mechanism for copper deposition has been proposed by Gabrielli et al. [C. Gabrielli, P. Moçotéguy, H. Perrot, R. Wiart, J. Electroanal. Chem. 572 (2004) 367]. In this mechanism cupric ions are supposed to be reduced by two different paths. The first path is a direct discharge of cupric ions in two steps, and the second follows a parallel path through a catalytic complexation with chloride ions and adsorption of copper (I) chloride onto the copper surface. In the second path, chloride ions are consumed in the first step and produced in the second step, therefore chloride ions act as catalysts. The rates of the two steps of the second path are equal under steady-state condition and the concentration of Cl− anion is constant in the electrolytic solution. In contrast the step rates are not equal under dynamic conditions causing a concentration impedance of chloride ions with a rather unusual expression. Such an impedance is calculated and thoroughly examined in this paper. Finally, decomposition of the Faradaic impedance into the sum of concentration impedances of adsorbed species and chloride ions makes it possible to determine the contribution of each concentration impedance to the global impedance of the electrode.