Studies of electrochemical nucleation by means of standard and modified pulse potentiostatic techniques

This report compares experimental data for the overpotential dependence of the stationary nucleation rate Ist and of the induction time to obtained in two different ways: (i) by varying the potential En of the working electrode at a constant concentration of metal ions (standard pulse potentiostatic technique), and (ii) by varying the concentration of metal ions at a constant electrode potential En (modified pulse potentiostatic technique). It is shown that the latter experimental method allows us to fix the surface state of the working electrode and to create well-defined conditions for nucleus formation. Information is obtained on the rate-determining step of the nucleation process.